Second wave
by Skymaster23
Summary: The continuation of Casualty Reports. Starts a little before The Pyramid of Darkness and first season. Now finished.
1. Downtime part one

Second wave.

* * *

In the months following Cobra Commanders disappearance, the G.I. Joe team was ordered to give up active searching and wait for the organization to reveal itself. What they could do was receive new funding and vehicles.

Duke and the Joes watched as the last transports left before leaving the describing to Steeler and Clutch. "If i may have your attention please; this, as most of us know, is the Mauler. Aside from the earlier flaw, it's turret rotation rate has increased, and it now has side armor for the tracks." Steeler said while tapping the side plate with a heel, then pointed to a white half-track.

"And this is the Snowcat, a medium to long range arctic support vehicle. Armed with the latest thermal imagery cameras, a quad missile launcher, and two additional rockets dubbed "snowpedoes". It will show Cobra that not even the antarctic is safe." He tells them before leading them to the third machine.

"Over here is the Bridgelayer, it's purpose is obvious, and is only lightly armed with two medium cannons, but, it will be one of the most vital parts of our arsenal."

Steeler then joined the crowd as Clutch took over. "This is the Silver Mirage. Unlike the R.A.M., it has an optional sidecar which can be armed with a ten round mortar, or a chaingun*, as well as auto guided AXL-10 micro-missiles. It can also carry three people. And remember this; if you ever get a little jolt, that's just it's way of saying good luck."

When that was over, the female Joes were looking the new machines over. "Isn't this a beaut?" Cover-Girl asks while taking a seat on one of the Mirages.

"Says here it has a 6.5 gallon fuel tank, which feeds a 1200CC liquid cooled engine." Lady-Jaye says, looking at a printout tied to the handle bars.

"Oh yeah, what else does this baby have?" Cover-Girl asked next as she glided a hand across the gauges.

"Um, urethane body panels, carbon fiber reinforced tubular frame, molded plastic composite wheels, and trailing mono-arm rear suspension." Lady-Jaye replied, and watched as the driver gasped. "Something wrong...why is your face like that?" She asked.

"Sorry, just hearing things like that just-just get me revved up way too much." Cover-Girl replied as she wiped her mouth.

"Does that mean what i think it does?" She asks Scarlett, who nodded.

"Fraid so, should have been there when we first got the M.O.B.A.T.'s, she found out sometimes if you take a hammer to the barrel at the 2 foot mark an-" Scarlett explained.

"Did not need to know that." Lady-Jaye told her.

"How about this one Wolvy i had; where every time it started, the vibra-"

"Eww!"

* * *

Chapter one. Read and review.

*Made up.


	2. Downtime part two

Second wave.

* * *

In the base somewhere, a few personnel were gathered around in a room, one had a clipboard. "Riot shields?"

"Check."

"Helmets?"

"Check."

"Shoulder pads?"

"Check."

"Good. We got a whole mess of adversaries in there, re-check your gear." The leader says.

"Sir, ready, sir." The rest say.

"Then move in, watch your alpha sierra sierras and go, go, go!" The leader says, and they head out.

"First zone of action ahead, sir."

"Baxter, take point."

The group enters the room, catching the Joes inside by surprise...for a moment.

"Mail call!"

* * *

Duke and Flint were going over reports from overseas in the former's office. "Latest news is a dead end, no sign of them." Duke said, and pounded the desk.

"Good and bad, all in one." Flint replied. "But at least we might be expanded."

"Might is the key word, the Japanese and South Koreans are still debating which of them should have a branch; and western Europe is making a completely different version of us." Duke told him as he pointed to the word "Action Force" on one of the papers.

"And Australia?" Flint asked.

"They're beefing up their regular forces only, due to how remote they are." Duke said.

Flint is about to respond when Flash came in holding a letter. "Duke, requesting leave of absence, sir."

Duke set down another document. "May i ask why?"

"Just got a letter from back home." Flash replied.

"What's her name?" Duke asked.

"It's not a girl, sir, it's from this professor who was a guest speaker once at SFU when i was there in '79." Flash explained, and handed the letter to him.

"Let's see: Dear Mr. Flash, it has taken me sometime to get in touch with you. I have recently started a new project for which i am seeking assistance, your "name" was recommended by a former student currently at Los Alamos. So on...so on...Dr. Benton. Emmet Benton?" Duke asked.

"Someone you know?" Flint asked him.

"Sort of, some of us were almost dinner for some of what Cobra based on his work recently." Duke replied.

"Does that mean no?" Flash asked.

"...I guess i can let you off; but not alone, have some Green-shirts go with, and be back the second you're no longer needed." Duke told him.

"Yes, sir. Thanks." Flash replied, then walked off.

* * *

Chapter two. Read and review.


	3. Downtime part three

Second wave.

* * *

In another area of Joe HQ, Airtight was in the lab. He went into one of the storerooms, and opened a secret passage in the floor in the security cameras blind spot. He climbed down to a tunnel in to what seems like a small factory behind a door labeled: The Pit, and got to work, unaware he was being watched from an airvent.

* * *

Two hours later, in Flint's empty office, Airtight leaves a round object in his seat. After he leaves, a small individual arrived and took the object, then made his way to the barracks and placed it in one of the bunks, which just happened to be for Snake-Eyes.

Airtight then went to the motor pool and set another object in one of the Sluggers, only for his pursuer to pick that up and take it to the commissary kitchen and drop in a mixing machine, which Roadblock turns on, setting it off.

The chemist then rigged one up on the tail of one of the Dragonfly's, which the mystery person untied as he walked off.

A half hour later, Airtight was called to Duke's office. "Do you need som-" Airtight started to ask before he saw several Joes, none of whom he expected, glaring at him.

"Sit down." Duke ordered before Snake-Eyes pulled out a whoopee cushion with an image of Airtight's face under the label: Yo Jovial inc., and shook a fist. Airtight, however, was too busy trembling to say anything.

"Next." Duke said, causing Roadblock to set down the tub of batter, which was bright purple and full of glitter.

"This was my ma's wheat bread; you betta explain, before you find yo'self in pain, ya messed up corncob!" He said, while Airtight stared at it in confusion.

"Next." Duke said again, signaling Wild Bill, who unfolded a square banner that had a cartoonish image of him on a donkey chasing Cobra Commander while holding a guitar over his head.

"Now, ah dun' dislike it, but ya best warn a feller first." The chopper pilot said.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Duke asked Airtight.

"The weird thing is how you got those, i know for a fact that..." Airtight starts to say.

* * *

Over by one of the S.H.A.R.C.'s, a parrot lands on Shipwreck's shoulder while he and a mechanic were replacing a rudder. "And just where have you been, Polly?"

* * *

Chapter three. Read and review.


	4. Downtime part four

Second wave.

* * *

Once they are able, Duke and Flint take a flight to Washington while leaving Stalker and Gung-Ho in charge. Both are in their service uniforms when the walk up to the terminal worker. "Afternoon. Wasn't aware there was a parade." The person said, in a bored tone, causing Flint to scowl.

"Settle down...we're on our way to the capitol, young man, to visit with a co-worker in a hospital; got injured real bad by the weather problems a while back." Duke said to both.

"Did he now?" The worker asked while not even looking.

"He did. Just imagine, having all those bones busted." Duke replied, and saw the teen pause. "Right arm, most of his ribs, both legs, and his neck."

The worker gulped, and nodded. "Sorry to, uh, to hear that...sir. Let me get those tickets, sir."

"See, you got to know how to talk your way out of problems sometimes." Duke told Flint, who only huffed.

* * *

After the flight, the pair followed Col. Abernathy to one hospital room where a heavily bandaged man was.

"Evening, Beachhead. How you doing?" Duke asked him, only getting a raised eyebrow.

"...How da hell you think ahm doin'; dat twista threw da base's fax machine at me! Ow!" Beachhead told him, winching as he moved the wrong way.

"All the more reason not to raise your voice." Flint told him.

"Ah'll be as laud as ah damn well please, ya 'ear me, Das-hole! Mah back!" Beachhead shouted.

"That's enough, Sgt, don't make me call for sedation again." Abernathy told him.

"Your still upset that i got picked?" Flint asked after that.

"Verah much so, like how ah had to git us out of dat mess in '74." Beachhead replied.

"...I'll admit it wasn't my best moment, but it did get me to brush up on field tactics. Even so, i doubt you would have done as well if you had to face a bunch of living vines." Flint told him.

"Livin' wut?" Beachhead asked as he widened his eyes at them.

"You haven't told him that part yet?" Flint asked the Col.

"No, i haven't since i don't entirely believe it either." He answered as he shook his head.

"Anyway, how's dat brew'net wit' da long name doin' so...fah?" Beachhead asked before Flint glared at him.

"Lady-Jaye has proven herself to be a highly capable part of our team." He told him.

"At ease...Still, Flint is right. I trust you atleast heard how she was the one who bagged Cobra Commander during Long haul?" Duke asked.

"Ah did, how many rounds dat take?" Beachhead asked.

"None, she did it with a javelin, took six enemy grunts before that, even." Duke replied.

"Jave-what now?" They heard from behind them, seeing a brown haired man with bandaging around his head and left wrist.

"Who might you be?" Duke asked him.

"Oh, uh, Cpl. Blais, sir, 19th Armor. Got banged up when mah Abrams done got lifted like Dorothy's house, didn't see no witch or flyin' monkeys atleast." The man replied.

"Well, hope you get better from that. Name's Duke, and this is Flint."

"...Ya'll more a' dem Joes, like Gung-Ho and Miss Scarlett?" Blais asked, and got a nod from both of them.

"Ye-haw, where do ah sign up?" He asked again, slapping his right knee.

* * *

Chapter four. Read and review.


	5. Downtime part five

Second wave.

* * *

A week after the two leaders got back, Dusty, Scarlett, and Rock 'n Roll returned from Afghanistan following a lead about M.A.R.S. munitions being found.

"Did you find any of them out there?" Duke asked, as he flexed his wrist after the fourth round against the Triplicates.

"No serpents there, Duke, just some old shells like this one." Dusty replied as he set one on the desk.

"Just like in Newry, that sting job in Colombia, the robbery of steel cables*, and the bombings in Kathmandu; all with a little of what got left behind after we left Cobra's Temple. Should have known there would be a hidden armory." Duke says, leaning back in his chair.

"Shit happens." Scarlett replies.

"...Anything else?" Duke asked.

"Just that one of the local resistance guys helped us when we had a flat." Dusty told him.

"Oh, which group?" Duke asked.

"Maktab al...something; said his name was Usammy**, i think." Rock 'n Roll answered.

* * *

Chapter five. Read and review.

*The ones used in TPOD part one.

**Yes, this might be a bad idea, but remember the story is set in 1985. Will remove if asked.


	6. Back in action part one

Second wave.

Disclaimer: Skymaster23 doesn't have any connection to Coors, Burger king, or Sears(Last one still around?).

* * *

Sept. 16, 1985.

Duke and the others have just been cornered by the Fatal Fluffies. "What this doesn't look like is good."

"Atleast your not alone this time." Scarlett told him.

"I'll soon fix that, rig up a holding spot in the control room. Take them away." Zartan said.

One of the creatures takes Scarlett by the arm. "So much for taking you home...and don't grab so hard!"

Duke struggled against another. "Scarlett! Let...go of her, dammit!" He shouted, only to be punched in the chest.

* * *

At Joe HQ.

"Gotta get this fuel truck aw-Ahh!"

"Mark, put me out, put me out!"

"Where the hell's it coming from?!"

"Tammy, don't let-Noo, Tam~my!"

"Oh god, i can't feel my legs!"

"Don't you die on me!"

"I'm blind!"

"Don't take my arm!"/"Sorry, but you don't have it anymore."

"Get us out of here!"

"We need more extinguishers over here!" Flint and the rest hear from all around them.

Wild Bill shook his head and lowered what was left of his hat as they see a few human shaped scorchmarks here and there. "...Damn mess, ain't it. How long ya reckon this gets fixed, sir?"

"As soon as we get started. Get to work, people." Flint replied.

"But do we even have time for that?" Footloose asked as he looked up.

"Lucky for you, the stations main gun has a 12 hour recharge period on it. I don't care what threat we're facing, we don't leave our own behind." Flint replied as he glared at him.

After 2 hours of digging, and leaving for San Fransisco naval yard, Flint calls Washington. "Get me Col. Sharp...Sir, we have an emergency, HQ was just-"

"Shot up by Delta, I'm aware. What's the damage?" Sharp asked him.

"133 secondary personnel dead, 532, including some of us are wounded, 11000 pounds of fuel lost, all but 4 buildings damaged, and 61 vehicles destroyed, sir." Flint replied.

"Understood, I'll get every nearby base to do their part. What's your next move?" Sharp asked next.

"I already got in touch with Treasure Island **.** They're probably calling Admiral Ledger as we speak, sir." Flint replied.

"What about Shipwreck and Snake-Eyes?" Sharp asked.

"Not a word since Tin face and The Twins got away, im afraid." Flint replied.

"I see; call again before you cast off, good luck." Sharp said, and hung up.

* * *

At the underground Cobra base.

"You there, Snakeling 572, head topside to a petstore for some animal food for a dog and parrot to my apartment."

"They your's sir?"

"No, Destro left them here, not sure why, but best not to question someone who wears metal gloves all day, so get to it."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

On the USS Flagg's flightdeck, the Joes where headed for the jets where one of the "Bears" sees a woman in a green uniform and a pack with steel capped sticks arguing with a man in a black beret. "I told you i didn't mean it, only said that because i knew you would turn it down." He says as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't care, Flint, I'm not flying with you this time." She says, then smacked his arm away, causing the crewman to restrain her.

"Get off!"/"Sir, do you want her taken to the brig?" She and the crewman both say.

"No, you can let her go. I did deserve that just now, crewman." The man she called Flint said.

"...Aye aye, sir." The crewman answered after wondering what it was about.

* * *

Onboard the station, Duke was watching Zartan going over the station's monitors when he noticed Clutch, Green-shirt Graves, and Steeler on one, while Scarlett and another Green-shirt were on another surrounded by 5 creatures.

"What are those mutant rats doing, tell me!" He demanded.

"Don't worry about your woman, she's feeding the Fluffies, as you can see." Zartan said.

Down on level 22.

"Feed us, feed us, now!"/"Now, now!" Two of them say, while another cracks it's whip at them.

"Ahh! I'm going. Nichols, get those boxes of pork rinds, coors, and whoppers down fro...Woah, oww!" Scarlett says, as the gravity was restored. "I'm not sure what happened, but lets move it. Yo Joe!"

"Right behind ya, ma'am sir." "Nichols' said, as the two took off.

"Haha, looks like things are getting too heavy for you, Zartan." Duke said.

"Don't let that bitch get away, or I'll toss all of you out the airlock!" Zartan shouted into the microphone after flipping him off, only for the gravity to be lost again.

"Not again...Nichols, behin-No!" Scarlett called out before one of the Fluffies caught and strangled her companion to death.

"Damn you, if they harm her, I'll-" Duke says, just before the console beeped, and Cobra Commander replaced the scene.

"The Pyramid of Darkness is nearing completion, Zartan; two more parties have left with Control Cubes."

"Mercy, have pity on me!"

"Dusty?!"

"Let me rest in gravity!"

"Seize the prisoner."

"You miserable slave driver."

"Can't stop, stand aside!"

* * *

At The Devil's Playground.

"Slowly, slowly, gah!"

"Wha-Sir!" One Blue-shirt said, after Destro is splatted.

"Sander."

The pair watch their CO remove the mud from his mask and get back to his task before the chopper crew warns of the enemy jets approach. "Sir, Joe fighters inbound!"

"Nothing must interfere with Cube placement; Cobra!"

"Position those C.L.A.W.'s for anti-air, hurry!" The secondary brigade leader ordered.

"Two down, sir." One of the air defense troops says, as he looked back.

"Still nine more, keep the chopper covered!" The 2IC replied.

* * *

In the underground construction site.

"So what's new with you?" One Blue-shirt asked the other.

"Eh, just got my EXP back from the shop after one of Destro's iceballs fell on it last year." The second said.

"Oh, i remember that, had to send my truck to the junkyard after it landed in a Sears store." The first replied.

"Almost makes you wann...Should that door be open?" The second tells him as he did a double take.

"Not at all, saw 755 lock it earlier...i hear som-Ahchoo; dog hair. You take point." The first ordered.

"Ok, turn around, nice and slow."

After the Joes exit the room, the first got back up and limped to the door while getting his radio out. "Intruder alert; two men, a wolf, and parrot. They've just taken one of the trolley's into mine shaft 47."

* * *

Near the Mountain of Glass.

"Ok people; scene 7, take 3...action!" A man in a chair says into a speaker-cone.

"Frozen Fudgies, what a treat. Frozen Fudgies, lot's of chocola..." An asian man with no shirt sang before he noticed something in the distance.

"Cut! What is it now, keep..." The Director yelled, until he and the film crew hear the faint sound of rotor blades behind them.

"What the heck's that?" A stage hand asked as she pointed to a helicopter carrying a giant black cube heading their way.

"No idea, but I'm not sticking around to find out. Leave the heavy stuff, and haul ass out of here!" The Director says.

"Alright, let's-Wait, that's mine...oof!" The actor says, as he sees the Director take his coat from a table.

"Stop, that's my money...Asshole, 작은 놈!*" The actor yells as the Director shoves him to the ground.

* * *

At The Devil's Playground.

Wild Bill and his Green-shirts watch as Flint and Lady-Jaye fall into the "lake". "Telgenhoff, Humberstone, get out there and pull 'em out; covery fire!" He ordered two on his right.

"Yo Jo-fall b-Ackk!" The two shout as they run out, only to get killed after 5 yards.

"Damn it. What we got here is a semi-stand off; only Destro can do what he wants, and we can't do shit. We can't even get to Flint and Lady-Jaye, and if that mud doesn't boil 'em, then they'll surely and purely drown." Wild Bill said aloud.

* * *

Chapter six. Read and review.

*Little bastard in Korean.


	7. Intermission one

Second wave.

* * *

While Flint and Lady-Jaye were escaping the mud pit, and Shipwreck and Snake-Eyes where dodging Col. Slash, Dr. Vandermeer had just gotten off the phone with the base that was currently holding the Joe's surviving support personnel. he then went to the labs intercom. "Sgt. Parker, to my office please."

"Wonder what that's about?" Mainframe asks while he and others are making blueprints for a spy satellite.

He makes his way to the room, where Vandermeer is waiting. "I've got good news for you young man, seems your wife's surgery has just finished."

Mainframe beamed at this. "Thank you...What a relief. May i leave early, Dr.?" He asks.

"Go right ahead, son. I'll let the folks at the gate know to let you go." Vandermeer replied.

* * *

9 hours later in the base hospital's 3rd floor, Mainframe sees his mother in law and his kids. "Dad!/Daddy!"

"Hey-hey troops, how's your mom doing?" He asks them, only for his mother in law to motion to another hall. "'Scuse me a sec; Ok, kids?"

Once they are out of sight. "How is she?" He asks.

"The doctor said Alice had 37 shrapnel wounds, her left leg broken in three places, and a small burn on her arm." She told him.

He turned toward the room they had been in front of, then back to Alice's mother. "Shall we go check on her."

She nodded, "The kids and I already have, but you can go ahead, Blaine."

In the room, he sees Alice with bandaging all over.

"Hey, sunshine. Heard about what happened, had me scared there for a while." He says to her.

"...I'm sorry about that, dear." She replied after eight seconds.

"How bad?" He asked.

"Blaine, it was hellish. Fires all around us, and-and Tammy...her sleeve tore~and~she fell from the hole~in the 7th flo~or!" She said, and started sobbing.

He leaned over and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Ali-cat. But it's over now."

"I agree...Blaine...i think we...need to go our separate ways." She told him in a sad tone.

"Wha...For the kids and me, you mean?" He asked after he stepped back in short lived shock.

"Yes, for all of you. You can keep custody until I can walk again. You have to understand, Bla-" She started to explain, only for him to place a finger to her lips.

"Don't worry, i do. Will you keep working for them, Alice?" He asked.

"Heh, it'll take more then that to stop me." She replied.

* * *

Chapter seven. Read and review.


	8. Back in action part two

Second wave.

* * *

After Flint and Lady-Jaye got away from his forces, Destro pauses once the Cube is activated.

"Is there a problem, sir?" One Blue-shirts asked him, but he ignores him. "Sir, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just that i swear something about that Joe woman bothers me. It's almost as if i have seen her somewhere before, but where?" He asks himself.

The soldier looks in the direction of the retreating enemies. "You want us to go and re-capture them, sir?"

Destro considered it before another Blue-shirt ran up holding a portable phone. "There's a call for you, sir."

Destro turned to him and pointed. "Not now, i-" He started to say.

"But sir, it's from the R&D site in India." The soldier said, getting Destro's attention.

"Give me that. This is not a good time, Dr." Destro said as he took the phone.

"My apologies, but i have to report that we have only 10 more of your disintegrators to finish." He hears from it.

* * *

Having been spotted by Major Bludd, Alpine and Bazooka go right while the main Joe battalion went left.

"What do we do now, sir?" Frostbite asks Snow-Job while they and Barbecue duck behind a Snowcat and return fire, only for them to hear yodeling, followed by part of the ice wall turning into a ramp.

"We get a move on." Snow-Job says with a smirk before he shouts to his right. "Hey, Tollbooth!"

"On it, sir!" The engineer shouted back, then turned to Rock 'n Roll. "You and the Green's cover us while we mount up."

"Right-o, dude; covery fire! Yo Joe!" Rock replied.

"Tollbooth, take point and do your stuff." Cover-Girl says as she and Short-Fuze board the Mauler.

"Piece of cake for the Bridgelayer!"

"All unit's advance, Yo Joe!" Snow-Job shouted before he lowered his vehicle's windshield.

* * *

While Roadblock's team is busy with the statue's, one of the Crimson Guards speaks up. "As helpful as they are, what's your plan for when the clay guys are done with them?"

The Twins turn to him. "They'll be..." Tomax starts.

"In small enough numbers for..." Xamot said next.

"You to deal with." They finish.

The guardsman rolled his eyes before he turned around to see a horde of skeletons heading toward them. "Um...about that."

* * *

After having gotten away from Col. Slash and his men, Shipwreck and Snake-Eyes are looking over Satin's spare clothes.

"Is this all you got?" Shipwreck asked as he looked over a pink shirt, while Snake-Eyes pointed to him and nodded after being handed a yellow blouse.

"It is in the men's department, sailor." She replied.

"You don't say?" Shipwreck says, then he and Snake-Eyes turn to each other. "Finders keepers!" The sailor says. The senior Joe shook his head and tugged on the shirt.

"Hand's off, loudmouth, i saw it...first!" Shipwreck says as he tugs it his way, before Satin cleared her throat, and motioned for both to lean forward.

"Grow up!" She yells in both men's ears; after the two recovered, Snake-Eyes hands a note to Shipwreck.

"Guess your right, lets settle this like adults." He said, and gets a nod in response.

"Oh no, your not going to..." Satin says as the pair each raise a right arm up, then swung down.

"Rock, paper, scissors!" Shipwreck shouts.

"Awk, just like at Barcelona." Polly squawked.

* * *

On the USS Flagg, Lady-Jaye and Roadblock watch Flint walk away with Tomax; after his remark, she turns to Roadblock. "What did he mean by that?"

"Don't ask me, you and Flint were the last ones to rough up the double E." Roadblock replied, only for her to shake her head.

"We cleared the place in Albania, sure, but the Twins themselves weren't there." She answered, then turned to Admiral Ledger. "You should increase your security detail, just incase."

"Eh, the boys i got watching us now can do the job just fine." The Admiral told her, and walked off.

"Well excuse me for doing my job!" She tells him as she cupped her hands to her mouth. "The nerve of some people."

* * *

Later, on the bottom of the Sea of Lost Souls, she has just dealt with and "returned" the Robotopus.

"What is it with these guys and robot arms?" She asked herself while she dodges Destro's shots at her, then notices an old harpoon lying around.

"Seems a tad too convenient, but oh well. Take this, sea snake...Aww, Dukes not going to like this." She says as she misses and the final Cube is activated.

* * *

In random locations, a pair of university girls are in a lecture hall when the lights go off. "What just...Amber! Sandy! Don't think i can't see you. Get back to your seats!"

In a dug-out area under a cliff 4 miles from Joe HQ, a large man with sunglasses, camo trousers, and a black tanktop is watching the lottery. "And your lucky numbers are: 22..."

"Yep."

"8..."

"Go on."

"68..."

"Uh-huh."

"10...7...15..."

"Just one more."

But before the last number is called, the TV went out. The man stared at it for a few seconds. "And i just bought a new one after that damn, outta nowhere flood last year." he says, then throws it out the window.

In Washington, Col.'s Sharp and Abernathy watch the feed from the Flagg show a beam shoot out from underwater just before the power-out hits them too. "Switch to the backup generators, Morelli!"

"No good, sir. They would have kicked in already." He replied.

* * *

On Desto's longship.

"Aww, this stinks; couldn't they have made it so we would be immune to this crap?" One Blue-shirt thinks.

"This wasn't in the job description." Another thinks.

"I gotta pee..nevermind." A third thinks.

"Hey, why didn't we think of that?" A fourth thinks, seeing the Twins and their guards pass by on their rafts.

* * *

Chapter eight. Read and review.


	9. Back in action part three

Second wave.

* * *

The following will be set at the same time. First, second, and fourth segment will be a bit different from episode 4.

* * *

In Spacestation Delta's control room, Duke is watching the beams from the Cubes change color.

"What the hell's that, answer me!" Duke shouted.

"That...is the signal to pop the cork, hahaha...What is it now?!" Zartan tells him, then both notice the other Dreadnoks and two Fatal Fluffies enter.

"Take 'im to da woik shop, ya flea bags!" Torch ordered the Fluffies.

"You bastards, get your damn claws off of...me, or I'll fucking skin you alive, you...hear me!?" Zartan says as he struggled with the creatures dragging him.

"Do i even want to know?" Duke asked.

"Dis 'ere stashun's now propatee of Eggs...eggs..." Torch gloated before he stopped.

"Extensive Enterprises?" Duke told him. "...Why'd i just do that?"

"Yeah dat. Thanks, Joey. 'old down da foat." Torch said as he walked away.

"What just happened?" Duke asks himself once the door is shut.

* * *

In the USS Flagg's engine room, the crew watch the lights go off. "I can't see, flashlight aint workin'!"

"What's going on?"

"Reactor levels just fell like a goddamn rock!"

"Backups dead too!"

"Shit. Get a runner to the bridge, now!"

"Anyone got a match or lighter?" They say.

Up on the carrier's island, Flint, Roadblock, Lady-Jaye, and Ledger were watching the energy pillar.

"Just as quiet as a night back home on the farm." Flint says, while Roadblock just grumbled.

"I really fucked up, didn't i? I had the old bastard right there, and i missed, i even freed him from his own damn robot!" Lady-Jaye said, with her accent changing, then screamed in frustration as she punched the wall next to the hatch. Ledger is about to say something before she turns to him.

"If you say it's because it's your shitty superstition, I'll-" She starts to say before he raised a hand.

"Not no more. Ya went and warned me to double the watch and i didn't; so way i see it, we both ought to be thrown out of the service, Lady-Jaye." Ledger said.

"...Maybe i should beat them to it and resign." She said to Flint, who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Cùm air falbh. Just...just leave me be, Flint." She said next and went to remove it, only to freeze when they lock eyes.

"No, I, uh, we still have need of your skills, just because they don't include underwater assassination doesn't mean you should just give up. You only failed cause you were alone...only thing to do is keep moving up here and succeed...together." He replied.

"Yeah. Stay with us, Jaye, so we can help you beat those snakes and save the day." Roadblock adds.

"...Oh fine, you talked me into it." Lady-Jaye replied, wiping away tears, then holding a hand out. "Yo...?"

"...Joe!" Flint and Roadblock finish as they do the same.

"Yo Joe!" Went the rest.

"That said, how to get us out of here, man?" Footloose asked from below, Flint looked to him and replied.

"We'll harness the power of the wind."

* * *

At The Mountain of Glass, the Joes and Cobra are still exchanging fire, only not with ether sides vehicles anymore. Snow-Job turned to Green-shirt Rodriguez. "Any sign of Alpine or Bazooka?"

"No, sir, we can't find them anywhere. Either they got caught, or they've been buried alive somewhere. Sorry." She replied.

"Nothing to kick yourself over, just have to hope it's neither." Snow-Job tells her.

"But what do we do now, all our armor's dead in the frozen water." Short-Fuze tells him.

"Maybe, but so is theirs. Just have to hold up here till further orders." Snow-Job replied, but Short-Fuze and Rodriguez just stare at each other.

"If there are any." Frostbite added, causing Snow-Job to glare at him.

* * *

At the Cobra base's airfield, two Blue-shirts spot Alpine, Bazooka, and Quick-Kick head for the transport plane.

"They're taking the Vulture, stop them!" One shouts to a third with a rocket launcher.

"I got-ahh!" The third says as a TV* falls on him from out of nowhere.

"...Where the hell did that come from?!" The second Blue-shirt asks the first, who looked in the direction it fell from.

Inside the plane, three other Blue-shirts are seated at a table.

"Ok, I roll a five; my gnome wizard casts a lightning spell against...what's the commotion?" One of them asks as they hear shooting before seeing the two Joes and stuntman enter and run to the cockpit.

"Way to go, Q.K., if you don't mind the initials."

"Your new initials are S.F.D., and if you can't guess, that means So F****** Dead. Now get away from those controls."

* * *

With Shipwreck and Snake-Eyes.

"We're up the creek without a paddle, or a canoe for that matter." Shipwreck says aloud as he kicked a rock on the roadside.

"Awk, try the one from Incheon." Polly says.

"Good idea." Shipwreck replies, then whispered in Snake-Eye's ear. A few minutes later, a Sedan stopped when the driver sees the pair sitting in the middle of the road, staring at a rock they rolled over infront of them.

"Hey, quiet back there...can't you see it's almost at the good part." Shipwreck said as he looked over his shoulder.

"...What do you dumbass's think you're...Aw dammit, not you again!" The driver, Vic Sikorsky yells as he got out.

"Vic? What, uh, what are you doing back in the states, ol' buddy, ol-ow!" Shipwreck asks, before getting punched in the nose.

"My airstrip got shut down after a freaking blizzard showed up out of nowhere! Two of my workers froze to death because of it, causing the rest to quit." Sikorsky tells him, before noticing Snake-Eyes and Timber. "Who're you?"

"That's Snake-Eyes. He doesn't talk much, or ever." Shipwreck explained.

"I'm missing something here, and I'm not sure i want to find it." Vic said as he sighed.

Snake-Eyes then got a note-pad and pen. "We're on official G.I. Joe business, need your car."

"Again? This got to do with the power out's i heard on the radio?" Vic asked.

"Caused by the same people messed up last year's weather."

"Eh, I'll take you as far as i can; but you sit in the back, Delgado." Vic says to them. They eventually stop near a farm. "This is as far as I'm taking you, so give Cobra the old one three." Vic tells Snake-Eyes.

"What about two?" Shipwreck asked.

"You can have it." Vic replied as he speed off.

"...So what now?" Shipwreck asked, before both hear cowbells in the distance.

* * *

Chapter nine. Read and review.

*Same TV from last chapter.


	10. Back in action part four

Second wave.

* * *

In the lower levels of Spacestation Delta, Scarlett and the others are in the storeroom eating what was left.

"How long's it been again?" Clutch asks as he opened a can of New Coke.

"About four hours, 18 minutes." Breaker replied. "And how can you drink that crap?"

"This stuff is fine, you'd figure a tech guy would be all for the latest craze." Clutch said to him.

"Not when it's the kind that goes in my mouth, you grease monkey!" Breaker said back.

"Grease monkey? Go munch on some computer chips, you fat-ass spazz!" Clutch says back, before Scarlett got in between them.

"You two can butt heads later, first we got to find a way out of here."

The two looked from her to each other, and called a truce just before Mutt sics Junkyard on Torch.

* * *

At The Mountain of Glass.

"Huh...Major, skyward!" One Snow-serpent shouts.

"What the bloody hell? Take cover, you blighters!" He shouted as the black pillar turned color.

"Snow-Job, up there!" Green-shirt Rodriguez says as she, Barbecue, and Tollbooth see the sight.

"It's a damn miracle, Cover-Girl, take a P.B.B. back to the landing area and get back to HQ." Snow-Job ordered. "The rest of you, get ready for round two. Yo Joe!"

* * *

In the galley of the USS Flagg.

"What was...the intercom?!" A random sailor says after everyone hears a buzzing.

"Well, don't just stand there, son...put it on speaker!" Admiral Ledger barked.

"Admiral, this is the engine room; don't know why, but the reactor just came back online." A crewman reports.

"Then get us underway! Fire up the screws; all ahead full before we lose this chance! Everyone, back to the bridge!" Ledger shouts.

Flint turned to his teammates. "Duke must have retaken Delta somehow. Roadblock, take a Skystriker back to HQ." He ordered.

"Yo Joe!" He says, and runs off.

* * *

After Cover-Girl and Roadblock return before the energy drain returned, the Joes hear a lound noise behind them.

"What the shit!?" Cover-Girl says.

"Watch out for dat there glass!" Wild Bill yells.

"Doc, got some in my arm!" Roadblock says.

"A Cobra Copter?!"

All the Joes minus Doc and Roadblock then see Alpine and Bazooka jump down with a third person. "Introducing star of stage, screen, and a regular on the gun show, MacArthur "Quick-Kick" Ito, stuntman extraordinaire."

* * *

At the Mountain of Glass.

"Hold them off so i can...The Cube?! Clear the area! Every dingo for 'imself!" Major Bludd ordered.

"I don't like the look of that; take cover Joes!" Snow-Job ordered at the same time.

"The powers back, let's get back to H.Q. on the double!" Tollbooth said as he restarted and retracted the portable bridge.

* * *

On the Flagg's bridge.

"Sir, aft gun crews report explosion back where the Cube was." A crewman says as he came in.

"Radar count: bandit 5 miles and closing at 10 o'clock!" Another says.

"Cobra transport plane. Scramble all jets for intercept!" Ledger ordered.

"Coming, Lady-Jaye?" Flint asked.

"Race you there, Flint." Lady-Jaye replied.

"Yo Joe!" Both say.

When the pair are over Enterprise City, Flint is leading pursuit of Cobra Commander and The Twins plane when a disguised hanger door opens and closes.

"Flint, pull up...Flint!" Lady-Jaye shouts as she and a third Skystriker break off.

Flint pulled the throttle back and to the left as hard as he could. "Whew...Think i might have scratched the paint job a little." He says as he looked back to the tower.

"Dat explains da disappearin' act ya'll mentioned before, don't it?" Green-shirt Blais asks from the third Skystriker.

"Sure does...Wait, the windows...Shipwreck, do you see that!" Flint asks as the jets circle the area.

"Yeah, but i don't believe it." Shipwreck replied.

"We can't let that thing take off! Ship', Snakes, move back so we can-where the hell are you going?!" Flint asks as he watches the sailor and ninja run toward the gantry.

Inside the elevator.

"Satin, what are you doing here?" Shipwreck asks the singer.

"Like i said, sailor man, getting back for what they did to my father." She replied.

"What was it they did, anyway?" Shipwreck asks.

"Dad worked at Sudan. Had the place insured by Extensive Enterprises, then some freak weather happened, but they accused him of faking it." She explained.

"Uh, your dad wouldn't be named Mitchell Sikorsky*, with a son named Vic, would he?" He asked nervously.

"Yes to both, why?" She asked.

"Oh; no reason." He replied.

* * *

At Spacestation Delta.

"Duke, a garbage module and an escape pod just took off!" Dusty says.

"Forget about that, the battle bird is almost in range of our proton beam." Duke says back.

"Show 'em not to make me some waitress, Duke." Scarlett said next.

* * *

In the Enterprise City subway, an off-duty swat team member and his sister watch two men in blue suits, an old homeless lady, a construction worker with a metal mask, and a nurse enter a car and start arguing.

"What do you think their problem is, bro?" The girl asks out of the corner of her mouth.

"No idea, Una. Sure being loud about it, though." The curly blond haired man replied as he turned the page of his newspaper.

* * *

When the Joes return to H.Q., Duke, Flint, and the rest meet Alpine and Bazooka's companion in the commissary.

"Mac' Ito? Didn't expect to see you again." Lady-Jaye says to him.

"You know him, L.J.?" Alpine asks her.

"Yeah, how?" Flint asks Quick-Kick, who scratches his head.

"Not sure i do, Mister." He replied.

"Oh, i was just an extra at table four in the restaurant scene on "Night of the Were-Gerbil II." She explained.

"I think i remember a blond with purple highlights back then, but i have a better memory of this one poster with her on it six scenes later." Quick-Kick says, pointing to Cover-Girl.

"That's because i was in disguise, I was an actress, in commercials, for a few months before joining the army; remember that rumor of you being a Yakuza member?" Lady-Jaye tells them before asking.

"Yakuza?" Steeler and Footloose ask as they turn to each other.

"Yeah, that was just from an agent i fired. Only time I've even been to Japan was when i was four." Quick-Kick explained.

"When's the part where this poster is seen, exactly?" Clutch asks with a big grin, which Shipwreck, Stalker, Airborne, four green-shirts, Snow-Job, Tollbooth, and Sparks also have.

"Put a cap on it, Clutch." Cover-Girl says to him after smacking him upside the head.

"Does everyone here know about her?" Quick-Kick asks, and all male hands rose.

"...Flint." Lady-Jaye says in a scolding tone.

"Well, uh, not me, myself...my sister in law's little brother has some old magazines, you see." Flint says as he backs up.

"And how do know about them, then?" She asks as she folds her arms.

* * *

Chapter ten. Read and review. End of TPOD arc.

*Made up name and backstory.


	11. After-action report

Second wave.

Disclaimer: Skymaster23 does not own anything related to Charlies Angels. (thankfully)

* * *

At the same time The Crimson Twins Battle Bird was being blown up by Spacestation Delta, a being with crab-like plates and a green arm, and another in a black cloak and hood were watching the scene on a giant web.

"Another failure from the vanguard you've chosen. Do you wish for me to execute him, sire?" Pythona asks.

Golobulus glance down to her and shakes his head. "A mere three battles lost does not determine a wars end, only patience will return us to our former place as the true masters of Earth."

Pythona sneered at his words, but bows her head in compliance.

* * *

At Joe H.Q., Gen. Schwarzkopf and Col. Sharp were at the assembly room with Duke, Flint, and the other Joes.

"And now, it is my privilege to once again grant Sgt. Duke Hauser, Warrant Officer Flint Faireborn, and newly reinstated Chief Petty Officer Shipwreck Delgado with the Medal of honor for their part in defeating Cobra's latest operation." The General says.

"Thank you, sir." All three say to him.

"Awk, i did way more then ensign cattle rustler." Polly says before flying off as Shipwreck reaches for him.

"Shut up, you tie-dyed pigeon!" The sailor shouts.

"What did that bird just say?" The General asked Duke while the Joes were laughing at Shipwreck.

* * *

After the General and Colonel left, Duke was in his office. "Last on the list is...Anything i can do for you people?" Duke says to himself as he looks over some requisition forms for new M.P.'s just before Dusty, Mutt, Steeler, Clutch, and some Green-shirts came in.

"Me and the guys were wondering if we could have some leave time, sir." Dusty said.

"All of you at once?" Duke asked them.

"To be honest, what we really mean is to get over having to deal with those fuzzy scuzzies, sir?" Mutt explained, while the rest all agreed.

"I guess i can allow that. Scarlett and i were thinking about it, ourselves. Okay, permission granted. Just have to let Flint know first." Duke says, as he stands up and heads to a filing cabinet.

* * *

After having a salad with Flint just before he was called over the speakers by Duke, Lady-Jaye entered her quarters to see Cover-Girl watching a gameshow with Gloria, Haruna, and Dr. Blackstone. The five wave to each other while L.J. passes a photo of her, Cover-Girl, and Scarlett in a Charlies Angels pose infront of a Wolverine while she heads to the bedroom and sits at the desk to write a letter.

Dear Ron,

Hope the power failures didn't bother you, and that you'll be glad to know that i had a part in ending it...

* * *

In one of the supply rooms, Shipwreck, Clutch, Blowtorch, Flash, Recondo, and Snow-Job are gathered in one aisle.

"So, what do you think of us so far?" Snow-Job asks the newer Joes.

"It's sure never dull around here." Recondo answered.

"And what's your opinion us co-workers?" Flash asked before being shoved by Clutch.

"Like the girls...for example." He says, the men mutter to themselves.

"Nae ta that, I'll not have the ire of Scathach crashin' on me head." Blowtorch says as he leaves.

"You wuss!" Shipwreck shouts to him.

"...What about the rest of you?" Clutch asks.

* * *

At the base's airfield, the Joes were watching some more new vehicles being unloaded.

"Alright men, these are the newest addition to our arsenal." Cover-Girl announces as some random soldiers drive by in some of them, then pats one four gunned vehicle while standing behind it and drooling for some reason. "This is the Armadillo, a ground and air defense mini-tank for direct urban combat. It has a welded aluminum laminate hull, quad 60MM cannons, and a rear deck with a rollbar for two additional troops to carry for the drivers support."

She then points to Clutch and Green-shirt Indiana. "Over to you, Clutch."

"And this is the All Weather/Environment Striker. It is a high speed scout car with four wheel suspension, two-way comm antennas, a fiberglass body over it's tubular frame, advanced infrared camera for the 10-round, 70MM auto launcher, and 175-70-VR15 off-road tires." Clutch says while he and Indiana are seated in it.

"Once they are finished unloading, Airborne will lead the blessing ceremony since Spirit did so last time." Duke says afterward.

* * *

A week after Dusty and the rest return, and after watching a J.U.M.P. wearing Stalker land to his right, Duke walks up to Flint, who signals a Green-shirt manning a TV-camera to pause the recording. "Why are we doing this when it was just some dumb dream of yours?" Duke asks.

"I told you, it'll be good for recruiting and historical reference." Flint told him, then smirked. "Now take over, my scene is almost ready."

While Duke makes a note to have Breaker switch a certain persons voice, Flint passes Airtight and Lady-Jaye, who were watching Torpedo and Zap getting into confiscated Blue-shirt's uniforms.

"Ready for my close up, Mr. Director." Lady-Jaye says to him as he gives Torpedo a prop bomb.

Once he reads the final scene in the script, Duke turns to Flint. "I don't even get to be in the end, and the new guy does?!" He asks, motioning to Quick-Kick, who was with Snake-Eyes and Barbecue.

"The backdrop wasn't big enough for all of us." Flint explains.

"But I'm the commanding officer, isn't it kinda mandatory for me to be there?" Duke asks as he pointed to another set where a Skystriker was being towed by a P.A.C./R.A.T.

"I can't, you weren't in that part." Flint told him with a shrug, causing Duke to throw the script down.

"If i had a trailer, I'd lock myself in it right about now and drink as much as i can till i pass out!"

* * *

Once the new M.P.'s were welcomed to the base, one of them enters the break room where Rock 'n Roll, Ace, Cutter, and Thunder are playing pool, while Lady-Jaye is playing checkers with Frostbite.

"Hmm? Hey there, new dude. Getting the skinny on the place?" Rock asks before his turn.

"Hola, sirs, and yes i am." He says back with a grin.

"What's yer name, mac?" Cutter asks him.

"I'm Pvt. Lavigne. You can call Chris." The M.P. says before noticing Lady-Jaye. "But you can call me...anytime." He said next, not seeing the guys back away as a sixth man enters and taps him on the shoulder.

"Not now, Alex." Lavigne says as he brushes the hand off.

He is tapped again. "I said not now." He says again while Lady-Jaye snickered.

After the third time, he turns around with a scowl. "I'm busy here Alex, so why don't you...you know you have real big arms?" He asks as he sees a less than happy Flint right behind him.

"Seeing as they're mine, that's affirmative. Name and rank?" Flint asks after narrowing his eyes.

"Private Lavigne, Christopher M. From Houston, Texas." The M.P. answered. "And, uh, who might you be, senor?"

"Flint."

"As in 2IC?" Lavigne asked with a grimace.

"As in one of the two men who can decide whether you are an M.P. or a janitor, entendido?" Flint replies.

"Yes, sir!" Lavigne says as he stands at attention.

"Good, now if you bother Lady-Jaye, or any female soldier on base again, i will arrange for your immediate removal from the premises, is that clear?" Flint asks.

"Sir, crystal clear, sir!" Lavigne says again.

"Dismissed." Flint says.

"Wasn't that a little overboard, Dash?" Lady-Jaye asks him as Lavigne took off.

"I think someones jea~lous!" Ace says next as the others start laughing.

"I am not, he needs to know his place here; maybe you do too." Flint says, and the men stop and gulp.

"Not me, I'm a Captain." Ace says, in a smug tone.

"Nice try; Duke told me that doesn't matter here." Flint replied.

"Aw, phooey." Ace says as he snapped his fingers.

* * *

Chapter eleven. Read and review.


	12. Downtime part six

Second wave.

* * *

During the week of absence, Duke and Scarlett went to a house in Missouri, where they see a Chevy Citation with a dirtbike on a trailer.

"Look's like he's here." Duke says aloud.

"You can face a whole army of fire-breathing dust bunnies, but not your lil brother?" Scarlett asks.

"You know we can't stand each other, Shana, you just want to see him give me a wedgie again. Well i don't." Duke replied.

"Aww, get in there, Sgt. pout-ser." Scarlett says, and gives him a playful shove.

Duke mumbled under his breath, but went in. He was about to ask if anyone was home when they hear snoring from the kitchen. They enter to see a slightly younger man with his feet on the table, with only a backwards hat and underwear on.

"Why that...quit staring at that bum." Duke says as he covers her eyes, which she peers around.

He heads for the table and slams a palm down. "Vince!" He shouts, causing the person to wake up and lose his balance on the chair.

"Oww, shit! Who the hell...Christ, Conrad, what the hell are you doing here?!" Vince asks as he got up and rubbed his left shoulder.

"Watching you waste your life, and get a perfectly good table all dirty. Now go upstairs and get dressed right now!" Duke shouted, Vince then noticed Scarlett, and looked down at himself, and ran off as she mimed holding a camera, which Duke noticed. "Stop that, it's embarrassing!"

* * *

Chapter twelve. Read and review.


	13. Downtime part seven

Second wave.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dusty had gone to his mother's house in Arkansas*.

"Mrs. Vasquez? It's me, Ron." He says, and the door opened a few seconds later.

"Oh. come in, Ron." She says to him.

"Hows my mom doing?" He asks as he takes his shoes and jacket off.

"I'm afraid when that power-out happened, her condition had worsened, but she's better at the moment." She answered.

Dusty got a guilty look on his face until he looked back up. "I know, you wouldn't believe how long we were stuck in Coaldale. But enough 'bout that, is mom awake?" He asked, having told them he was still in Vegas as a city bus driver instead of in the military.

"I sure am. how's my widdle boy?" Mrs. Tadur asks as she came in with a walker.

"I'm just fine, Mom. Sorry to hear about what happened, and that i couldn't be here." He replies as he rushes over to hug her.

"Aw, don't you fret, sweety, i won't be joining your dad anytime soon." She says as the two let go.

* * *

Chapter thirteen. Read and review.

*Made up.


	14. Downtime part eight

Second wave.

* * *

At Joe H.Q. we see two Green-shirts in front of a desk somewhere, one having a broken hand.

"Welcome, once again to the latest episode of GR.I.T.-ty!" They both say.

"Ahm yer host, Bobby Blais." The first says.

"And I'm Thomas Riley." The second said.

"In tahday's news, ah jus' checked out of da infirmary after showin' dat Rock 'n Roll fella not to be disrespectin' mah tunes. Took a few blow's mah'self, but it was worth it." Blais says as he points to his injury and grinned.

"Even when he was in the right? Face it, country stinks." Riley asks.

"Yuh take dat back 'afore i break yur nose too, yuh jackass!" Blais said as he stood up and raised a fist.

"After the show...In other news, we have new additions to the bases guard dogs thanks to Timber and Honoria*, who last year was subjected to Cobra sleeping gas when the Hydro-Master was stolen." Riley says as the other man sits back down. They then cut to security footage of Doc at the Kennel with Gloria, a Green-shirt, and Snake-Eyes handling four German Shepard/Wolf puppies.

"The names are; Liberty, who is a girl. Duty, Order, and Sgt. Snuffles, who are boys." Riley said.

In the monitoring room, Flint, Stalker, and Breaker were watching the show.

"This makes 16 "episodes" so far...Breaker, find out where they're broadcasting from." Flint orders as rubbed his temples.

"Uh; on it, Flint." Breaker replied, hoping the hosts don't reveal his having started the concept.

* * *

Chapter fourteen. Read and review.

*Made up.


	15. Countdown

Second wave.

* * *

Thanks to Red Witch for permitting use of the name: Sgt. Snuffles.

* * *

Somewhere in Cobra's latest hideout, Cobra Commander is speaking with Storm Shadow and the Dreadnok trio. "It has "recently" come to my attention that my troops performance is much too inadequate, i want you four to train them at once." He ordered.

"This, i will do to the best of my capability." Storm Shadow replied.

"Heh, wut a total ass-kissa', ain't he, mates? Haha-dah!" Torch says, then sees a Kunai slam into the wall next to his neck.

"貴様*, that will be your only warning." Storm Shadow tells him.

"Enough of this! Go to the training grounds immediately, all of you!" Cobra Commander orders.

* * *

At Joe H.Q. Duke is in his office when Stalker enters.

"You asked to see me, sir?" Stalker asks, and Duke nods.

"I've been ordered to send a security detail to a defense center conference. The location, and the Joes i chose for you to lead are right here." Duke replied, and handed him a sheet.

Stalker takes it and reads it over. "Hmm?"

"Something wrong, Stalker?" Duke asks, seeing his friends expression.

"Your not sending Flint this time, this a test of sorts?" Stalker asks.

"That's right. I want to see how Lady-Jaye does on her own, Flint's only her teammate, not a partner, after all. He already knows, by the way, if that's what your wondering." Duke explained.

"Uh-huh; got it, Duke. I'll go round them up." Stalker said with a nod, then saluted and left.

* * *

Once the fighting was over, the Joes, Defense center troops, and conference attendees are at the commissary while Gung-Ho was in the Kitchen.

" _He'll fix yoor dinna', whoevah want's gumbo, Gu~ng-Ho is there."_ Gung-Ho sang aloud to the mixed reactions of the crowd.

* * *

Chapter fifteen. Read and review.

*Kisama.


	16. Downtime part nine

Second wave.

* * *

While Stalkers team was returning from the defense center, Duke entered the infirmary to see Thunder and Cover-Girl speaking with some Green-shirts, 7 were in the beds, and 3 were up against a wall.

"What's all this about?" Duke asked an orderly, only for Thunder to answer.

"Another "initiation", Duke. These little bastards thought it was a good idea to see how many of their juniors could fit on my Slugger's gun." He said with a snarl while pointing at two G-shirts. "The thing just about tipped over before they fell off, and made it bust a hole in the ceiling."

"And to see how long four of them could hold on to a Wolvy-go-round! Atleast he had the sense to take it outside first." Cover-Girl added, pointing a thumb to the third.

"I see. Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" Duke asked them as folded his arms.

The trio stood at attention. "Sir, we made a mistake, sir!"

"Damn right you did, and you wont make another, because you all struck out, got it?!" Duke yelled.

"We get you, sir!" They say.

"Scram!" He says as he pointed to the door, which they walk out of with their heads down. He then got to a phone. "Flint, three dishonorable discharge forms on my desk, please."

"Will do. Hold on, got someone on the other line...That was Breaker; said Spirit, and Stalker's unit just showed up on the radar screen." Flint replied.

"Okay, thanks." Duke said, and hung up.

Four week's later, Flint told Duke that he, Lady-Jaye, and Cutter were headed to the restaurant Roadblock's aunt and uncle owned.

* * *

Chapter sixteen. Read and review.


	17. Red Rocket's Glare

Second wave.

* * *

After Lady-Jaye's latest near death experience, Flint was talking into the radio to the local police. "Delta Foxtrot 2-4-0 to E.C.P.D., we're low on fuel. Requesting landing clearance. Over."

"Negative 2-4-0, you are an unregistered craft. Identify yourself. Over." He heard back.

"My tail number is Golf India Juliet Oscar Echo, do you copy that? Over." He said.

"...Permission granted, head to pad 7. Over." The voice over the radio instructed.

"Roger, and thanks. Over and out." Flint replied.

At the station, one officer went to the dispatcher. "Dan, that chopper coming in; it has a pole or something sticking out the bottom, tell him to hold position till we can remove it, would you?"

Once the javelin was removed, the Dragonfly landed and they got out. Flint and two officers notice Lady-Jaye take a few steps before taking her jacket off and holding it over her mouth and start screaming and sobbing into it.

"Lady-Jaye?!" Flint asks as he rushed over.

"Huh? Sir, what's with her? Did you do something?" One policeman asks him as he placed a hand on his holster.

"Wait, this isn't what you must think. Real reason is classified. We'll need a place to stay until you can refuel my bird." Flint replied.

"Eh, alright, come on in. Matt, get some, uh, decaf for them, would you?" The first officer asked the second.

"Sure thing, Dan." The second says.

Inside the station, the second officer watches the two Joes after taking their gear, one resting her head on the other's lap. Flint however hadn't touched his cup. "Not going to drink?" 'Matt' asked.

"No thanks, I don't need any." Flint replied.

"Go on, i ins-" Matt started to say before a third officer walked over.

"What's with them?" The third asked.

"Just showed up in some army chopper; the big gorilla says they need a place to stay for a while." The first replied.

The third looked to them again, and back to the first. "I can take them to my place, Dan." He suggested.

"And why would i let you do that?" Dan asked, then the third sighs and hands over 107 dollars to him. "Their all your's." Dan replies.

The third officer then motioned for Flint to take Lady-Jaye outside and follow him.

"What was that all about?" Flint asks as the two place her in the back seat of a station wagon.

"Sleeping pills in the mugs. Most of the dept. works for Extensive." The third answered while putting the Joe's gear in the trunk.

"But not you?" Flint replied with a raise eyebrow while the officer stared a bit at one of the javelins before putting it back.

"Saved your ass, didn't i?" The man replied as the two get in. "Cooper MacBride, city swat team."

"...Flint."

"And what about little Miss Van Winkle back there?" 'Cooper' asked as he pointed a thumb back.

"That is Lady-Jaye." Flint answered.

* * *

At Cooper's house.

"Una! We have guests." Cooper said.

"...Are those army clothes? What the heck's going on, bro?" Una asked.

"I'll explain just as soon as Capt. Grid-Iron here does." Cooper replied.

"What?" Flint asked, then shook his head. "Whatever. She can stay with..."

"Oh; I'm his kid sister." Una explained.

"Right, can you let the lady stay in your room?" Flint asked.

"Not sure why, but sure, mister." She replied.

"Good, I'll bunk with you, then." Flint said next.

"Nobody goes in my room but me." Cooper warned him.

"O...k." Flint replied, seeing Una nod to him.

Lady-Jaye then woke up. "Ohh, what happ...Flint, where are-"

"Easy Lady-Jaye, we might have made a couple of new friends just now. You're going to stay with-" Flint started until she spoke again.

"No please, i can't be alone! Not after that!" She pleaded.

Flint turned to the home owners. "The couch is a fold-out that i use when i need more space." Cooper told him.

"...Fine." Flint says, while scratching his head.

A few minutes later, Lady-Jaye came back wearing some of Una's clothes, since hers had sweat, and one other stain on them. Flint looked away after staring for a second.

"Aw, does Mr. Stonehead have a crush on someone?" She joked as she spun around.

"Not you too, Lady-Jaye." He grumbled to her confusion.

The two then got down on the fold-out and Flint turned to her. "So...what, uh...what was that thing at the helipad all about, if i may ask?"

"Did seeing me fall frighten you, Flint?" She asked.

"As much as it would if it were anyone else." He answered. "But that wasn't all, was it?"

Lady-Jaye glanced to him and sighed as she sat up. "When i was 6 years old, i was in my room on the third floor of our five story house." She said.

She continued after seeing him mouth "five". "My parent's Fenella Burnett, and Arthur Hart, were arguing, a-and then a gunshot. I made my way to the fourth before...be~fore seeing her fal~l!" She explained and started crying again. "That bastard killed her!"

"...Alison..." Was all he could say quietly.

"I'll admit she~she was chea~ting on him, but..." She started to say before Flint pulled her towards him.

"Ma'am?" They both heard from the stairs from Cooper.

"I'm~fine, sorry to wake you." She said after turning toward Flint again. "Took a few months~of searching, but my grandmother on her side...she had~him assassinated later."

"Falling from the skid brought that day back." She told him.

"I really should have gotten someone else...Anything i can do, fair lady?" Flint asked her.

"...Just this, Dashiell." She said, then grabbed his face with both hands and pressed her mouth against his. "That's for saving me, again." She said once they could breath again.

Flint was in too much of a daze to answer, just blushed and lied back down. Lady-Jaye waited for him to doze off before turning around to put her arms around him, which he unknowingly did as well.

* * *

Chapter seventeen. Read and review.


	18. Satellite Down

Second wave.

* * *

4 and a half months later, in the Primord cavern.

An elderly member of the tribe was in the central chamber painting the events that just occurred while the chief watched after having smashed the noisy stone the strangers left behind.

The elder turned and pointed at the image of the Joes, Cobra soldiers, and their vehicles, and the chief grinned and nodded. "Yoh Joh."

The two walked off, showing images behind them of what seemed to be nearby African warriors, Roman centurions, WW1 troops, as well as a few red individuals with bronze blades surrounding a man attached to a dark green bulb.

* * *

Thousands of miles away, at the Cobra hideout.

"Sstorm Ssshadow, report. Have you sssecured the G.I Joe ssatellite, yet?" Cobra Commander hissed.

"To my regret, i have failed in this mission. The device is no more." He admitted.

"You bungling, pajama wearing, piece of sshit. Give me one good reasson why i ssshouldn't have you execu...no more? Sso, they haven't recovered it, either?" The Commander asked before he and Destro stare at each other.

Storm Shadow nodded while being glad his sweating could be explained by the climate. "One of the guardsmen severed the rope carrying it when the one known as Flint jumped on to it, while we were unable to kill the enemy leader, we did deny him and his subordinates a success."

"That is true, Commander. It was not a total failure this time." Destro says, as he looked the faceless leader.

"Very well. You have avoided execution once again, Ssstorm Sshadow, but i expect only victory next time. Cobra!" The Commander demands as he ends communication.

* * *

At the same time in Joe H.Q., Spirit and Lady-Jaye were in the base's courtroom facing Generals Schwarzkopf, Austin, Hollingsworth, and Slack while Dr. Macintosh, Col. Sharp, Duke, Flint, and Dusty watched.

"Spirit, is it true that at 1528 hours on Sept. 25, you and Lady-Jaye did take, and later lose, an A.W.E. Striker with a civilian aboard over a bridge who's structural integrity was questionable at best?" General Austin asked.

"It is true, sir." The tracker replied.

"And which of you was the driver?" The General asked.

"I was, sir." Spirit answered before Lady-Jaye could.

"And after failing to get the mission commander's authorization to proceed, according to you and the other witnesses, a Cobra air strike destroyed the bridge before the two of you and Dr. Macintosh were able to cross?" The General asked.

"Yes, sir." Spirit answered.

"And afterwards you and several Cobra agents were captured by creatures known as...Primords?" The General asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir. They found the spy satellite." Spirit told him.

"Hmm, the report also claims that these creatures mistook it for a god-figure and attempted to sacrifice you to it, correct?" The General asked as he turned to her.

"Lady-Jaye, is that claim true?" He asked again when she hesitated to glance at Flint, who clenched his hands until Dr. Macintosh nudged him.

"Calm yerself laddy, before yeh be attractn' the wrong gaze." The older man told him quietly.

"It's true, General. Four of them held me down in the equivalent of an industrial press." Lady-Jaye said.

"...The report also says you only escaped with the assistance of Spirit's animal." The General stated after he and the other three mutter to each other.

"Yes, sir, his eagle; sir." She answered.

"...Right. Following this event; you did engage Cobra agent Storm Shadow and his forces; a skirmish in which the multi million dollar spy satellite you were sent to recover was destroyed. Is that correct, Spirit?" The General asked next.

"Yes, sir. A Crimson Guardsman on a F.A.N.G. copter cut the rope after Flint jumped on it." Spirit explained.

"This hearing is hereby in recess until we reach our conclusion, the defendants are temporarily excused." General Austin says to them.

Outside the court, Spirit and Lady-Jaye are greeted by their friends.

"Oorah!" Gung-Ho says.

"So are you free to go, yet?" Tripwire asks.

"Yeah, what's the word, Brownie?" Marissa asked next.

"Not sure yet, The Brass is still deliberating in there." Lady-Jaye tells them, then turned to Spirit. "You know didn't have to cover for me in there."

"I know." He replied to her with a grin.

"So they could still throw you both out?" Deep-Six asked.

"That remains to be seen, Deep-Six." Spirit told him as he shrugs.

The doors then open, and Duke walked up. "Hate to break this up, but they've decided."

"Let's go see what fate awaits us." Spirit replies as he and Lady-Jaye head back to re-take their places infront of the Generals.

"Spirit. Lady-Jaye. After much deliberation, we have decided neither of you will face court martial. However, you Spirit, will be placed on unpaid leave, while Lady-Jaye will be temporarily restricted from action while she undergoes therapy for the trauma she went through, it's not in our job description to be nearly crushed to death by ape-men, after all. Duke, i will leave the choice of mental health expert to you. This court is adjourned." General Austin says, then bangs the gavel.

Later in Duke's office, Lady-Jaye came in with several others behind her still cheering in the hall.

"You wanted to see me, Duke?" She asks, then notice Doc was there too.

"I did, i decided not to have you leave the base for your session." Duke told her.

"You didn't. How come, is Doc going to do it?" She asks him.

"No, but he did recommend a psychologist he's heard of." Duke answered.

"Really, what's this headshrinkers name?" She asked Doc, who chuckled.

"A young man from a base near San Francisco. His name's Kenneth Rich." He answered.

* * *

Chapter eighteen. Read and review.


	19. Cobra Stops the World

Second wave.

* * *

While Cobra's oil disruption plan was going on, Clutch and Tollbooth were wandering in the middle of nowhere after their A.W.E. Striker ran out of gas, both were down to their underwear due to the heat.

"I'd give my aching feet for some water." Tollbooth said.

"I'd give my right arm for some, but quit saying that, your gravely voice is pissing me off." Clutch told him.

"Oh, that's right, you'd rather be here with Cover-Girl. Only said that a dozen times!" Tollbooth shouted.

"Who wouldn't, she's freaking Courtney Kreiger. You're not one of those grody D.A.D.T's are you?" Clutch asked him.

"Hell no, I'll have you know I've had my eye on that R&D lady ever since she broke up with Bazooka." Tollbooth told him as he got in the V.A.M.P. driver's face.

"Cover-girl's way hotter."

"So what?"

The two kept arguing.

"Courtney!"

"Sally!"

And arguing.

"Go take a long walk off a short gurney!"

"It's called a **girder** , moron!"

The two started wrestling a bit until they heard another voice from the right of the hill they were near. "34, 35, 36, 37..."

"Who's that?" Tollbooth asked as he helped Clutch up.

"Who cares, as long as he has a place with some water and shade." Clutch said.

The pair head over to see a dug out area with a hodgepodge of structures in it. "Hello?"

"76...hmm?" They hear from inside, then see a man with sunglasses, a black tanktop, camo pants, and arms about the size of Quick-Kick's torso with a bomb from an old Cobra Diamondback behind him.

"Eh...that been de-mined?" Tollbooth asked the man after he and Clutch stepped back.

"It's fine, I'll prove it." He says, then throws it like a football a half mile where it exploded. "How about that?...Atleast i threw it this time."

"This time?!...Um, why don't-why don't you ask him?" Clutch asked as he got behind Tollbooth.

"No way, you were driving." Tollbooth said to him.

"Is this going to take all day, Clutch?" The man asks as he tapped his foot.

The two stop their debate and look at him in surprise. "You know who i am?"/"Who he is?" The two ask him.

"That's right, and that your Tollbooth. Name's Sgt. Slaughter, one of your teammates. And this is the Slaughterhouse." The man answered.

The two turn around. "Slaughterhouse?...You know this guy?" Tollbooth asked Clutch.

"Not me, never even heard of him." Clutch admitted before they face the man again. "If that's true, how come we haven't seen you before?" He asked.

The man raises a hand, then heads back in to get a scanning wand and waves it over them, which stays silent both times. "Okay, you're clean. I don't go near the base often since I officially don't exist. I'm the team's special drill instructor." He explains as he welcomes them inside.

"Guess that explains the chopped up cargo plane of ours you have upstairs." Clutch said as he pointed up.

"Yep, dragged it here last year after it was shot up too much." Sgt. Slaughter replied.

"I don't remember dispatching any tow vehicles for that." Clutch said to him.

"Like i said, i dragged it." The Sgt. said flatly.

The driver and engineer stare at one another. "Huh?"

"I took a couple of chains...wrapped it 'round the front landing gear...then walked all the way back." Slaughter says after he rolled his eyes.

* * *

After getting back from their mission, Duke and Scarlett went to a restaurant somewhere in Utah.

"You should have seen~the look on his face when i~i winched myself back up in front of him." Scarlett said with a big grin as she tells him about when she raided the Cobra safe-house.

"Haha, no snake can keep you down, can they?" Duke replied. "Unlike with me and Ace, just before Bludd got us. Can't stand that cyclops's screechy rat voice."

"Another arena?" She asked him.

"Not this time, we got away before they could do anything." He told her. "Anything else?"

"Just that before this all started, i bought some new...undercover outfits from one of Jaye's magazines." She said as she slipped off one of her shoes and ran a foot across his ankle.

"...Waiter, check please."

* * *

Chapter nineteen. Read and review.


	20. CSTW, alternate ending

Second wave.

* * *

At Joe H.Q.'s monitoring room, a few Joes and Colonel Abernathy, now in a General's uniform, was watching Cobra forces move past gas-less and demolished Abrams, Maulers, and other Joe vehicles while Green-shirts and regular troops are either still desperately trying to stop them with machine gun nests and small arms, lying dead, or just running away.

They see an injured Green-shirt Blais, now in a different uniform, Thunder, and Cover-Girl try to get back to one nest where a dead Gung-Ho is being dragged by Footloose while Rock 'n Roll keeps shooting till they see a M.O.B.A.T. explode, taking Blais and Thunder with it while Cover-Girl is knocked down, some of the Blue-shirts and Dreadnok Ripper notice and drag her off kicking and screaming to their rear-lines.

"God damn it, just like Scarlett...Talking just like ol' Roadblock, ain't i, Afterburner*?" Stalker says to the one-armed Gen. Abernathy.

"If only The Harpoon hadn't run out of juice." Squelch** said aloud.

"Atleast Lady-Jaye had our mole in their ranks shoot her before they could get her." General Afterburner replied while Mainframe turned from their left.

"Cobras just slithered in!" He shouted and pointed to a screen showing Blue-shirts and Crimson Guardsmen killing Bazooka, Ripcord, and Barbecue.

"Gyrene**, Hammerhead**, cover that-" Afterburner tried to say before the door was blown.

"Cobra!" They all hear before getting mowed down.

* * *

In the base's gym, Airborne slipped while hitting a punching bag that Quick-Kick was holding while some other Joes watch.

"What happened?" Quick-Kick asked as he helped him up.

"...I'm not sure." Airborne replied.

* * *

Chapter twenty. Read and review.

*Made up codename for that reality.

**Potential codes for Dial-Tone, Leatherneck, and Wet-Suit.


	21. Downtime part ten

Second wave.

* * *

In Flint's quarters, Duke and Snow-Job were talking and drinking, while he was playing Wizardry on a desktop computer. "So after we finished eating, we have our driver take us back to the safe-house where my car was, only for him to stop halfway and force us out; turned out he was a Crim' in disguise." Duke says to them.

"Shouldn't have made you 3 hours late." Snow-Job replied.

"Eleven seconds at most." Flint added while still facing the screen.

"...Anyway, when he was getting some cuffs, Scarlett takes her scrunchie off, gets it around his neck, and used the controls under her glove to-" Duke explains while pretending to gag.

"Ouch." Snow-Job said in response.

"After she unlocked the cuffs, we placed him in the trunk. After checking the limo for any other surprises, we figured since the road was lonely enough that we could "test the shock absorbers"." Duke said next.

"Damn, why can't i get that lucky. What about you Flint, you and-" Snow-Job asked, only to be cut off by an angry expression. "Oh! Look at the time, bye." He says nervously, then ran off.

"...That mean something did happen?" Duke asked, Flint paused the game and waited for a few seconds before replying.

"Not telling." He says, then thought back while Duke tried asking again.

Flashback to 8 days before.

Flint was in his office when Lady-Jaye came in and plopped down on a chair. "Back from your session?" He asked while reviewing budget papers from Duke.

"Oh, bite me." She grumbled in the same accent from The Sea of Lost Souls.

"Excuse me?!" He asked as he stood up.

"...Sorry, it's that new guy." She replied.

"Did he perform outside his expected duty?" He asked as he walked around the desk and sat on the edge. (Did he do something to you?)

"No, sir. He was everything Doc said he'd be." She replied as she leaned back and crossed her legs. (Don't worry, your job's still yours.)

"And that's just the problem." Flint asked again, but she hesitated. He then stood up and motioned for her to follow him. The two head for his quarters where she sees a Curtis Mathes G522R, a Commodore SX-64, and another bookshelf as the two go to his table where he moves two chairs next to each other.

"The stairwell, Flint. It just slipped out." She said in his ear.

"Ah no...only that, i hope?" He asked her as he groaned.

"Luckily, yes. Didn't say what happened at **that** **house**." She told him, and both sigh in relief.

"That doctor patient thing apply to psycho..." Flint asks.

"Psychiatrists; and yes it does. What Dr. Rich didn't do is help with my losing streak." She says as she hides her face in her arms on the table. "Lost the Correlator, Destro and the Cube, crapping myself in mid-air, lost an A.W.E. Striker and almost kill myself, Spirit, and Dr. Macintosh..."

"Stop that, none of it was your fault." Flint tells her, then he stood up and stroked her back. "It's only the higher-up desk jockeys who expect us to be perfect."

Lady-Jaye rose her head up, showing tears of frustration. "But...what about all the equipment I've cost us? All those taxpayer dollars i flushe-" She starts to say before he puts his arms around her.

"I don't care about that, Alison. They're replaceable, but you're..." He says, and stares into her eyes as he tucks some hair over her ear before cupping her cheek, making her shudder and turn away. After a few seconds, however, hidden emotions from each moment on the field burst forth, and she gets out of her chair and into his arms. In response, he eagerly helps himself to the skin of her collar.

"Ohh, that f-feels so good...Wait, wait, the camera...They'll see us." She says as she motions to the corner of the ceiling. Flint pulls away to make a "cut" motion to the security camera and returns his attention to her once the red light turned off, going slowly up her neck while sliding a hand down her side to rub her outer thigh making her whole body weaken in his arms. "I don't-don't deserve any of this, Dash." She says, whimpering as her half-closed eyes start to flood.

"Don't say that, Alison. you're wrong." He tells her as he wiped them away, then went from the left side to the right, getting low whimpers and giggles.

"...I'm wrong, as much wr...wrong as...keep going, Dash, Keep going." She tells him breathlessly while he runs his lips across her jawline, tilting her head to allow him more access. He looks into her eyes, and can tell that she has accepted that needed him, wanted him, and that he would soon have her. He gives up the teasing nibbles and locks his mouth onto hers; not the short and blissful "Thanks" from before, but a long and sensual "Finally".

"Ali-Alison?"/"...Yes?"/"Your lips..."/"Wh...What about them?"/"Your lips~are like sugar, and your skin is all spice."/"Hehehe. Well then...why don't put your big puppydog tail in my eve~ry~thing~nice?"

"Not just yet...Why do~does your...tongue look all...dark blue...?" He asked her softly when able, making her snort in laughter before he lifted her off the floor, and she raised her feet back halfway* as his tongue swiped over a sensitive little spot behind her upper teeth.

"Had...a popsicle ear...earlier, but...it seems... it wasn't the...desert i needed." She told him before the two pull apart, and head to his bedroom.

End flashback.

"Flint, come on; tell me!" Duke asked him.

But he turns his head to hide a smirk. "Nope."

"Don't make me give you an order."

"Blah, blah, blah...sir."

* * *

Chapter twenty-one. Read and review.

* Scene taken with permission from a person on Deviantart.


	22. Downtime part eleven

Second wave.

* * *

In the Cobra Temple, Cobra Commander was just informed that Dr. Shakur turned down the offer of employment.

"Unacceptable!" He yelled as he threw his cane at a Blue-shirt. "No-one can be as furious as me right now!"

It was at this point that an alarm sounded. "Emergency alert, the Baroness has wok-She's spotted us!"/"Look out!"/"Not the face!"/"I want my mommy!" Was heard over the intercom.

Cobra Commander then rushed over to the monitors, where he sees her approaching Copperhead, 18 unconscious troopers lying in the hall behind her.

"Um...ain't it a right fine da-Ow, stop! Uncle, uncle!" He said as she puts him in a figure 4 toe hold.

The Commander shuts off the screen and turns to the other troops, who were nowhere to be seen as the Baroness blew the door open with a grenade launcher.

"Accursed female biolog-Ahh!" He grumbled before he drops the chair he had been holding and ran for his life as both pass a calendar with "Bloody scourge day" circled in marker around Sept. 27.

* * *

Chapter 22. Read and review.


	23. Jungle Trap

Second wave.

* * *

Half an hour before Duke's team leaves for it's extraction mission, Snake-Eyes was taking a stroll with Timber after a meeting with Doc when he sees Alpine and Bazooka, the latter having a trout in his arms.

"Hey there, S.E. Check out the~catch~of~the~day." Alpine said in a sing-song voice.

"Nudder big'n." Bazooka said with a big grin.

Snake-Eyes looked it over, then gave a thumbs up when the fish started thrashing about.

"Wha-bad doggy!...Uh-Oh." Bazooka says as Timber leaped at it, making him toss it in the air, landing on Snake-Eyes. The Joe ninja looked down in dismay as the front of his blue-grey skin-suit is covered in fish-goop and dirt.

"Um...Run?...Alpine?" Bazooka asks as he glances to his pal.

"Women and mountaineer's first!" Alpine says as he was already a dozen yards away.

* * *

Chapter 23. Read and review.


	24. Cobra's Creatures

Second wave.

* * *

In the labs of Joe H.Q., the phone rang.

"Dr. Blackstone...Airtight, sir, it's for you."

The Joe's chemist sets down some beakers and walked over. "Airtight here. Hey Flint, do Duke and Rock still have that fever? Scarlett and Ripcord were...She is?...Understood, sir."

"What did Flint say?" Dr. Blackstone asks him.

"Bill just landed with Scarlett, Ripcord, Mutt & Junkyard. Seems Scarlett has arachnophobia." Airtight told her.

"I know, Cobra found out?" She asked next, and he nodded.

"Apparently, so i have to get some stuff. Get Fraley over there to assist while I'm gone." He said, then headed for the lab de-con/airlock.

20 minutes later, he showed up with two cardboard boxes in front of one of the lounges where Scarlett was with Cover-Girl, Haruna, and Alice after her session with Dr. Rich.

"Pardon me, Scarlett?" He asked, and she got up and headed over with a sneer.

"If those are what i think they are, i swear, I'll-" She started to say.

"Easy there, these are just the molds. Was on my way to hand them to Miss West, since I'm selling them." Airtight explained.

"All of them?" She asked.

"Sure am, i may be a prankster; but I'm no sadist." He answered.

"Could you put those down?" She asked next.

"...Sure, why?" He asked as he did so.

"So i can thank you." She answered as she hugged him. "Thanks a whole bunch, Kurt."

* * *

Chapter twenty-four. Read and review.


	25. Med-file

Second wave.

* * *

Medical-Psychiatric report.

From: Dr. Rich, (Redacted), psychiatric ward.

To: (Redacted).

Codename: Scarlett.

Rank: Sergeant (E-5).

Reason for appointment: Arachnophobia, potential pyromaniac. (possibly related to choice of sidearm)

Session one began at 0922 hours, patient in for mental trauma received while captured along with operative Ripcord during search & rescue mission for operative(s) Mutt (& Junkyard).

Patient, during state of distress, spoke of "da l'il freaks dancin' awl ovah mah dress" by spiders of undescribed species subjected to (redacted) while imprisoned in a (redacted) hide-out during first session.

Later session on Oct. 3rd revealed cause of trauma to be from patients childhood, patient spoke of being on a ride with her family at age 8 on a Georgia backroad when a White-Tailed Deer appeared around a turn in the road, sending the family van down an embankment. Patient stated waking up after "a few hours" where she described several previously mentioned spiders crawling on her, two of her brothers, her father, and her mother, latter of which having been killed on impact.

Sidenote: Fellow operatives, names withheld for safety reasons, claim patient has had "conversations" with her crossbow at times patient believed herself to be alone.

Session three scheduled for Oct. 6th, 1985.

* * *

Chapter twenty-five. Read and review.


	26. Downtime part twelve

Second wave.

* * *

The week after the return of Mutt & Junkyard, Ripcord, and Scarlett, Flint gets a call from the front gate station. "Hello?"

"Sir, there's a lady here to see you in the parking lot." The female voice said.

"Ok, I'll be right there." He replied, then goes to let Duke know.

Once being allowed, Flint heads to the lot, where he passes a semi trailer and senses a presence behind him. He twists around and sends the person to the ground before he finds out who it is.

"You?! She did technically warn you it was her, didn't she?" He says to himself as he helps Lady-Jaye up and dusted her off. "Sorry about that."

"Nah, i knew it would be 50% painful, but not that it would be 100%...thrilling." She replied as she leaned over to his ear.

Once he got himself cooled off from that, he asks her what she called him for. "It have to do with us avoiding each other since..."

"Yes it does, Da-Flint, i...i took the test." She said to him as the two headed back to the entrance.

Flint stopped. "Your car have a top on it?" He asked.

"It does." She replied, and she led him to a '82 Corolla which they got it. "You get Breaker to edit the footage of the table from **that day?** "

"I did, cost me a cold one and a bag of Doritos, but as far as Duke knows, my quarters were empty." He told her. "And..." He asked slowly.

"...I'm not."

"Well, that's...that's what?" He asked next.

"Good, bad...i don't know. Almost drowning in volcanic freaking mud didn't get me as scared as the thought of how inaccurate those things can be." She replied as she twirled one of her bangs.

"Boy, do i wish i didn't know what that-i mean i...forget it." He said as he groaned.

"We can only wait and see if i some day end up trying to kick their fangs in while being as heavy as one of their A.S.P.'s." She said, then snorted. The two laughed until she started crying. "I'm~I'm scared, dashi~ell. I don't~want a baby, but at~the same time..."

Flint leaned over and held her. "I know~Ali, i~am too, i am too."

Three days later, the Joes were informed that a Dr. Hibbentrope was abducted.

* * *

Chapter twenty-six. Read and review.


	27. The Funhouse

Second wave.

* * *

While the W.H.A.L.E.s were leaving the Flagg to speed off for the Brazilian coast, Gung-Ho was leaning out of the A.P.C. with Airtight to watch Ace and the other flyboys soften up the shore-ward defense lines.

"Oullie! Dat looks hotta den Barbecue's burgers, dun' it?" He says.

"Think they got some?" Bazooka asks as he took a look, his rocket launcher just missing the marine's face.

"Watch where yoo put dat damn thing, yuh dummy!" Gung-Ho said in a growl.

"Sorry, waves too...wavy."

"By the way, you lost your hat again, Gung-Ho." Cutter tell him.

"Muh what...Aww, not again!" Gung-Ho groaned after he felt for it.

"Wouldn't worry too much, look." Dusty says as he points to the second hovercraft maneuvering along side, where Snake-Eyes was holding it.

"Ha! Merci, S.E., I'll get it at da porch over dere!" Gung-Ho says.

"Land ho, and Yo Joe!" Cutter says as the ramps are lowered.

* * *

Chapter twenty-seven. Read and review.


	28. Schemes in progress

Second wave.

* * *

While the Commander was busy watching Alpine's ordeal, Destro was at a M.A.R.S. factory in Hungary.

 _"What is this brainstorm you called me all the way here for, Dr.?"_ Destro asked the man.

 _"See for yourself, Desto."_ The person replied, showing a schematic for a large cylindrical structure resembling a squashed rook piece.

 _"Certainly an imposing looking design."_ Destro told him as he looked it over. _"What is it called?"_

The Dr. passed a hand across his bald head. _"At this point, i have not come up with a name for it yet."_

* * *

After the retreat, on the Commanders orders (The usual blamegame), the Baroness and Scrap Iron, both in plain clothes, were sent to an apartment to wait for a pizza delivery car that their new pilot, Wild Weasel was observing from the equally new Firebat jet.

"This must be the most degrading task ever." She says to herself.

"Your telling me, i used to be one of those guys. Only thing i miss is the dough, and i mean cash, i would take a tiny bit of...that and the scent." He said to her from outside, not that she cared.

Once the car arrived, Scrap Iron headed over to the delivery boy as he placed it on his cars roof. "Hey kid, got any jumper cables? My car broke down and..."

While he was talking, the Baroness got out and opened the box, intended for a Mr. Arnold according to the order-form on it, to place a drop of some clear fluid on each slice, then shut it and followed the delivery boy to his destination.

At the second floor, she watches from the stairwell as the man takes it. Five minutes later, she heads for the door and picks the lock to find the man dead in his chair.

She takes a walkie talkie out. "Scrap Iron, inform the Commander that step 3 is clear, then come to room 26 the help with the body."

* * *

Chapter twenty-eight. Read and review.


	29. Twenty Questions

Second wave.

* * *

Before the war games started, Duke is with Scarlett and Roadblock, who was dragging him to the parking lot. "This is insubordination, you hear me, mutiny!"

"How you put up with it, Scarlett, when he acts like he expects to kick the bucket?" Roadblock asks her.

"Only because she's forcing me to see that maniac out there again, that's why!" Duke shouts, and Scarlett chuckled.

"You are such a wimp; it's only the dentist, Conrad." She says. "Be nice to the man, and I'll give you a treat when you get back."

Duke thinks for a moment, then asks. "Italian?"

Scarlett turns. "Got any, Marv?"

"I know 17 of them. Pick a meal, and you got a deal." He replies with a smirk.

"Fine, I'll go. Be back in a few hours." Duke said, then started his car.

* * *

While the Joes leave for the vehicular practice field, Pvt. Lavigne had just gotten off his shift and was wandering around.

He is whistling "The Turkey in the Straw" when he hears a voice from his left. "Eh, don't be like that. See, your siblings like it." He hears from the kennel.

"Que pasa, Morris?" He asks one of Doc's staff tapping a bowl.

"Huh? Oh, it's this little guy, wont eat his food." The medic replied, pointing to one of the pups.

"Maybe if you try it like this, man?" Lavigne says, then gets some on his finger and wiggled it.

The puppy watched, then jumped for it.

"...I've been trying for two days to get him to eat. How'd you do it?" Morris asks him.

"My folks got a couple back at home, always works for them." Lavigne said, with a shrug. "What's the little guys name?" He asked.

"This one? Name's Order." Morris replied.

* * *

At the field, Cover-Girl watched from her Skyhawk as Gung-Ho dodges shots from Frostbite in an Armadillo, while Lady-Jaye, on the blue team, tosses a javelin at Short-Fuze, only for Scarlett to catch it after jumping off an A.W.E. Striker's tire, and place it under her armpit when a tiny flag saying "ka-boom" pops out of the bottom.

She then sees Shipwreck flopping around after Alpine shoots him with one of the laser tag guns Flash built, and rolls her eyes, which land on a white van on a hill with some people overlooking the exercise. "Who the hell-" She asks herself before turning on the loudspeaker.

"Cease fire! Everybody, cease firing! Civilians in the battle area!"

After getting Gung-Ho and Alpine's warnings, Flint drives the news crew to the base.

"That thing sticking out, is that what i think it is?" Ramirez asks him.

"That? Just an antennae for communicating with spacestation delta." Flint lied.

"I'll bet. That middle finger to us tax payers isn't suggestive at all." The guy in the red sweater says to him.

Flint just twitched an eye as he kept driving.

* * *

Chapter twenty-nine. Read and review.


	30. The Greenhouse Effect

Second wave.

* * *

After watching Cobra Commander once again caught in vines from the giant bean, Destro goes to the security room.

"You there, replay the last few minutes from the throne room." He tells the guard on duty.

"Yes, sir."

Destro watches the struggle, then turns to the guard. "Leave."

"Yes, sir."

Once the man shuts the door, Destro turns back to the console, and slips in a Betamax tape. "I won't forget doing so this time." He says, then laughs to himself.

* * *

During the "attack" of the giant produce, Green-shirts Graves and Guderian where with a team lead by Stalker, until he is taken out when a bunch of broccoli breaks out under him and grows up to his shoulders. "Ah, shit!"

"Sir, maybe you can eat your way out!" Graves said to him.

"Quit laughing, dammit, I'll murder ya! Get me out of this thing!" Stalker yells.

"Ew, that thing looks all rotten, doesn't it." Graves said to the other shirts.

"I heard that, you'll be doing P.T. till your 60!"

"Might as well let the man out of his rut...abaga." Guderian replies.

"Shut up!"

Guderian gets to a M.O.B.A.T. and tells Graves to toss a tow line around it, then starts backing up once its fastened.

As it starts to fall, Graves notices a man asleep in a car under it, acting fast, he mounts an Armadillo and shoots out the section that would have smashed it.

"Rob, you insane? You could have hit Stalker!" Guderian shouts, as Grave rushes to the car to let the now awake person out.

"What the hell...is that a giant..." The young man asks.

"Giant Broccoli, afraid it is." Graves replies as Guderian and Rodriguez help Stalker in the background.

"Ain't you those G.I. Joe dudes?" The person asks.

"That's right, Name's Graves. I'm only one of the support troops, aka Green-shirts." Graves tell him.

"Gnarly. I'm Dave Taputapu, got an uncle who works for the mayor here." The person replies.

* * *

A few days later, Graves and Guderian show up at the Green-shirt barracks in new uniforms.

"Hey, check us out, we just made the team." Graves says.

"Whoo, ya'll is lookin right fan~cy." Blais says back.

"Yeah, what's your names?" Another asks.

"Grunt."/"And I'm Heavy Metal." They both reply.

* * *

Chapter thirty. Read and review.


	31. Haul Down the Heavens

Second wave.

* * *

At early afternoon, an individual wakes up to feel repeating drips on his face. He heads out to see the far away ribbons of light which have been increasing over the last few days, weakening the ice and driving away the others.

In the distance he hears voices and noises similar to those which came with the black icebergs before the ice thinned. He gets a scent that has also been rare since then, food is there. He follows it to a herd of shapes both familiar and less so, some of the barker masters follow a mostly white iceberg and enter it, allowing him to make his way to some weak skins holding the scents he came for.

Eventually one of the masters, a female by the scent, appears behind him armed with a long claw, he can smell how rightfully fearful she is as he takes the claw and breaks it in his grasp. She wisely allows him to take a second skin before the other two, one of which slightly sharing the spear bearers scent, follow him on a noisy stone-trunk until he dives under the water.

Later, when he finishes with the weak skin, another master hits him from behind. He kills the foolish one before a second gets him with a red mouthless tooth. He wakes up later in a roofless cavern watched by three masters, two with faces like the white eye that follows the yellow one. Then two more appear, he recognizes them from the herd, the spear bearer and her mate. He recalls how his mother once mentioned to him and his brother how they tend to stay in groups like barkers or head-spitters, even without the unfalling stones on their waists.

He swipes at the male to the three other masters amusement above, before louder noises to his right get his and all five masters attention. The two before him charge, using his mouth to separate the stones between them. Once the noise stops and the cavern sinks, he pulls himself onto a finless head-spitter and rests while the spear bearer and mate speak with another master with fur like the yellow eye.

* * *

Chapter thirty-one. Read and review.


	32. Synthoid Conspiracy part one

Second wave.

* * *

In a city under the ice, two people were in discussion. "I have been observing Cobra Commanders progress, and i believe it may be necessary to alter the plan somewhat."

"How so, my liege?"

"I command you to proceed to the swamp dwelling of the Dreadnok master, and fit him with a psychic motivator, i will handle the rest."

* * *

At the Cobra base, The Commander was overseeing a new project by the Dr. that Destro summoned.

"This trooper of your's has been surgically implanted with cybernetic headgear for enhanced audio/visual communication, Cobra Commander." He says, pointing to a trooper in a greyish-blue outfit.

"Now, without speaking, what is my name?" He asks.

The words Dr. Mindbender scrolled left to right on his visor.

"And what is your collective classification?" He asked next with a smirk.

Our what now? was seen next.

"...What are you called, you imbecile!" Dr. Mindbender shouted after seeing The Commander blink at him.

Ohh. We're Tele-Vipers.

"As you can see, it only negates the need to speak, the negation of **thinking...** was left as is." Dr. Mindbender explained after clearing his throat.

"...Still worth the effort. Have them increased to 20 for now." Cobra Commander says to him.

* * *

Days later, in the infirmary of Joe Headquarters, Nurse Simmons was doing the rounds. In post-op, bed 4, was Pvt. Lavigne, in for thinking Spanish food was spicier than Cajun.

Bed 5 had Green-shirt Blais, who had been in a fight with Thunder over which music genre was better, Rock or Country, which was crazy; everyone knew the new techno was better.

Bed 8 had Recondo, who had injured his wrist when the net on the P.T. course came loose, which was also why Steeler and Footloose were in beds 9 and 12. The budget cuts were just as bad for the Joes as it was for the base's regular inhabitants. After being chatted up by the jungle scout, Gloria sees Lady-Jaye show up.

"Number 2 is open." Simmons says, followed by Lavigne and Blais who both offered to share, starting another "debate".

"Actually, I'm not here for injuries. Can we...speak in private?" She asks, then turns to Steeler who made a catcall. "Not for that, you creep!"

Once the two head for a room with no security camera, Lady-Jaye explains the events following the failed satellite recovery mission.

"You and the 2IC?, With no protection?" Simmons asks.

"Shh! We were too caught up in the moment, so we...After the thing with the polar bear, we-"

"Polar bear?"

"Long story, anyway, i just need to confirm that I'm not pregnant, but not here, do you know anyone who can help?"

Simmons thinks. "I know this one guy back home, went to med-school with him."

"Okay, what's his name?" Lady-Jaye asks.

"When you get there, ask for an Edwin Steen." Simmons replies.

"Steen; can i trust him?"

"Definitely, swear to God."

* * *

Before the Cobra air raid, Shipwreck was headed for his car, when he spots Cover-Girl washing hers.

"Afternoon." He says as he waved.

"Not in the mood, seaweed breath." She grumbled, causing him to hold his hands up.

"Hold yer fire, there, was just saying hi before i leave." He explained.

She raised an eyebrow. "Not going to ask me to dress for Oktober fest, or something?" She asked.

"Would i do that?" He asked.

"Don't give me that crap. Don't forget how you were clobbered with a sandbag bo-staff* for asking Jaye if she had a javelin for "dancing" after the W.D. episode, or how you were "chatting" with Scarlett back on the Flagg during the demonstration. Then how you tried to get Blackstone to make that love potion, or-." She said.

"Alright, already. Only thing I'm doing is headed for time off to visit my sis and her family." He told her.

She dunks the sponge in the bucket, then paused to look up. "You have a sister?" She asked.

"That's what i said, unfortunately she has this defect in a, uh, certain place...so long story short..." He explained.

"An adoption?" She asked next as she looked up.

"Yes, his names Jesse. I was too, by the way." He answered, looking down.

"I see...take care, Shipwreck." She said, too stunned by the confession to say more, then watched as he waved behind his back.

* * *

Chapter thirty-two. Read and review.


	33. Synthoid Conspiracy part two

Second wave.

* * *

In Seattle, Lady-Jaye was in the waiting room speaking with the waiting room attendant.

"Name?"

" **Andrea** **Baker** , here for my appointment with Dr. Steen."

"Ok, have a seat, Ma'am."

"Thanks."

Following her undercover training, she took a seat in the back corner and thought back to before she left.

Flashback.

She is watching the home shopping network and eating a bagel when Scarlett came in and slammed the door.

"Which problem, apple?" She asked as she set it down.

"Machine shop is out of grease, so I'm out of crossbow bolts." Scarlett told her as she went to the fridge, only to find it empty. "And Budweisers. Son of a bitch!"

"Tell me about it, I've been stuck to standard firearms since i can't give them baths any more." Lady-Jaye said.

"Varnish dried up, huh. What is it with those brassholes all of a sudden?" Scarlett asked as she messed up her hair in frustration.

"Eh, all those medals must be on too tight." Lady-Jaye replied.

The flashback ends when she hears her alias being called.

"Here." She says as she stood up and followed the person to a room.

Six minutes later, the Dr. came in, a black haired man around her age. "Good afternoon, I'm Dr. Steen. I understand you're here for an ultrasound." He said as he read from a file, then glanced at her.

"That's right, i took a take-home test, but..." She tells him.

"The accuracy issue, not the first such patient I've had." He said. "No obvious external signs, so, a month?"

She nods silently.

"Which branch?" He asks, much to her shock.

"Pardon?"

"You passed the last room i was in, i know that posture when i see it." He tells her.

"Army Staff Sergeant...you?"

"Just the opposite. Pacifist, wouldn't touch a gun to save my life." Dr. Steen told her, then gets to a phone. "Jenny, bring an ultrasound to room 25, please."

A minute later, a nurse rolled in the machine. Steen turned to Lady-Jaye. "Now then, please lay down while i start this up."

As she does so, she watches him hit the on switch and the nurse apply the gel before they turn to her.

"Now lift your shirt a bit, please." He then said, which she did while fighting back job related instinct. She flinches a bit when he presses the cold wand onto her stomach.

"Sorry 'bout that."

"It's fine."

The two medics watch the monitor, then Steen nods, then looks to her. "Well, it's official. Your not pregnant, Miss Baker. Jenny, paper towel, please."

"Thanks Dr." Lady-Jaye tells him with a small grin. "I'll tell Gloria i said hi."

Steen then turned with wide eyes. "You know her?"

"She's at the same base i am." She explained.

"Ah; well, let her know the same. Have a good day, Ma'am." He said, then he lets her out.

* * *

Once the Synthoid menace was ended, Scarlett was in Dr. Rich's office.

"I should have known when he got our names wrong, i just don't get how i missed something so obvious." She tells him from the little couch as he took notes.

"Easier than you think; stress after a surprise attack can get in the way of the best, and just because you are one of "the best" doesn't mean you're perfect." Rich tells her.

"I guess. But, how do i approach him now? He...that fake almost murdered me. And how do we know Cobra can't just make more?" She asked him.

"Hate to say, but that's not my area of expertise." He told her as he shook his head.

During Duke's session, in Flint's quarters, the two were sitting on the right side of his bed with her leaning against him.

"So we drew a blank. In our situation, it's a relief. But...in **our** situation?" Flint asks Lady-Jaye.

"It's for the best. Would say we have the rest of our lives if we didn't risk losing them 24/7." She replied.

"Just have to watch our backs till either we or Cobra is ended. This tug of war can't last forever, after all." He said, then patted her left shoulder with his left hand.

After Duke's session, he calls Scarlett, Flint, and Lady-Jaye to his office.

"All here, Duke, what's this about?" Flint asks.

"I'm putting myself on time-off for the holidays, you guys care to come with?" He asks after a sigh.

"I got free time, how about you?" Flint asked Lady-Jaye.

"I can take a longer "sickday", i suppose." She replied with a shrug.

"Scarlett?" Duke asked.

"...I'll..."

* * *

Chapter thirty-three. Read and review.


	34. What was, and will be

Second wave.

* * *

At the same time, in the Pentagon.

Two of the officers who were replaced were back after all of them were pardoned by the President.

"And then that thing...ordered Mutt's dog to be put down." General Franks said. "If it weren't for Quick-Kick, Scarlett, and Rock 'n Roll..."

"Damn those serpents! We'll get back at them once they show their faces again, sir." Abernathy says.

"Can only imagine what could have happened if i hadn't offered to take your place, Clay." Col. Sharp said, making the other one grimace.

"Neither can i, as boring as those exercises can be, I'll be sure not to skip the next one." Abernathy replied.

"Makes me wonder if i should stay in the line of fire." General Franks said, getting the other two's stares.

"Sir, you can't mean retirement?!" Abernathy says, as he shot out of his chair.

"I have to agree, sir, who will support G. I. Joe in your place?" Sharp added.

The General took a breath. "Don't think I'm rushing into this like i was back in bayonet practice." He told them. "I've given some thought as to who might replace me."

The two look at each other. "Either of us, or do you have someone else in mind?" Abernathy asked.

"Clayton, you've been part of the project from the time Colton died. I'm more than confident you can handle my position. Would you accept?" General Franks asks him.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Abernathy said, as both saluted.

* * *

Chapter thirty-four. Read and review.


	35. The Phantom Brigade part one

Second wave.

* * *

"...I'll..." Scarlett says before the phone rings, making the four flinch.

"What?!" Duke says into it. "Sorry Breaker, Scarlett was about to say something to me...you know how i am about cliffhangers. What you got?"

After listening for a bit, Duke says "Your kidding, right?", then "Fine, thanks." and hangs up. "Just been informed that Romania exposed an E.E. attempt to buy some munitions in a certain part of it with a front group."

The other three look to each other before Flint folds his arms and speaks. "I get the feeling i don't want to know where that is."

"You'd be right, because the magic word is Transylvania." Duke tells him.

"So Cobra vants to suck their blood for that." Scarlett replies in an accent. "But seriously, what about the time off?"

Duke thinks for a moment before he decides. "It'll have to be put on hold." He says.

"Or just Flint and i could take it, while you go drive some stakes through the snakes." Lady-Jaye suggested.

"You would say that." Scarlett scoffed and added, "She can't stand horror movies."

"Hey, you promised not to tell anyone! And don't get any ideas." Lady-Jaye said to both before Flint and Duke laughed at her.

"Other than that, why doesn't the Oktober Guard do it?" Flint asks.

"Because they're the ones asking. Cobra expects them to defend the depot, so they want us to do so instead." Duke replies.

"And to record our tactics in the process, no doubt." Flint says.

"...All we can do about that is change them afterwards, if they have that in mind." Duke says back.

* * *

Chapter thirty-five. Read and review.


	36. The Phantom Brigade part two

Second wave.

* * *

While the four split up, Duke and Scarlett look for volunteers. They try Clutch first while he's working on a machine gun P.A.C./R.A.T.

"Got free time, Clutch?" Duke asks.

"I might, where you going?" He asks back.

"We have reason to expect a Cobra attack on an ammo depot in Transylvania." Duke tells him.

Clutch claps both hands to his neck before running and climbing into a Wolverine. "No way, I'm too young and handsome!" He yells, and sealing the hatch.

"He's half right, anyway." Heavy Metal says as he and Steeler snicker at the scene.

"How about you then?" Duke asks, making them stop.

"Uh...look, what's that?!" Steeler shouts, and the two tankers are nowhere to be seen once Duke and Scarlett look back.

"Gonna call that a no." Scarlett says to Duke, who only huffs.

While they try somewhere else, Flint finishes getting into his civilian clothes when Lady-Jaye comes in.

"You should have knocked." He tells her.

"Why, we've seen enough of each other, haven't we?" She asks, as she runs a finger under his right arm, where a mark from his first day in Vietnam is.

"You still should." He says, then smirked. "No exceptions, gorgeous."

"Finally, a promotion. Only took about two years." She replied, then adds, "Nice vest, but doesn't the beret clash with it?"

"What, black goes with everything." He tells her, and she rolls her eyes.

The two head for the elevator when they see Bazooka, Snake-Eyes, and Ace running past while Scarlett chases them. "Run for your lives!" Bazooka says to Flint and Lady-Jaye.

"Dracula doesn't exist, you fraidy cats!" They hear Scarlett say, and see her tackle the second.

"We'll never forget ya, man!" Ace shouts over his shoulder as he and Bazooka make a sharp turn down a corner.

"...I didn't see anything, did you?" Flint says after they watch a scowling Scarlett drag the ninja away.

"No, sir." Lady-Jaye says back before she presses the down button.

* * *

Chapter thirty-six. Read and review.


	37. Downtime part thirteen

Second wave.

Skymaster23 has no connection to Fiat auto company.

* * *

When the pair exits the elevator, they come across Quick-Kick and Cutter.

"Hey, guys. you hear the commotion around here?" Cutter asks them.

"The volunteering, you mean. Yeah, we did. Should have~should have been on the command level, hahaha!" Lady-Jaye replies.

"What happened?" He asked next.

"Ace, Bazooka, and Snake-Eyes lowered our standards a million times over, that's what. Thank god no outsiders saw it." Flint says through clenched teeth while Lady-Jaye kept laughing.

"Lighten up, Flint." She says to him as she wipes her eyes.

"There's nothing amusing about seeing our best stealth expert clawing at the floor rather than go on a **perfectly** **normal** mission." Flint says to her.

"You must mean the one to...Commissar Dracula's base, muwahaha." Quick-Kick says in the same accent Scarlett used.

"...Yes." Flint replied as he forces his eyes shut.

"Sounds great, doesn't it?" Quick-Kick asked, much to his surprise.

"You mean you actually want to go?" Flint asks him.

"And how, the both of us are big Lugosi fans." Cutter tells him.

After that, Flint and Lady-Jaye head to the parking lot, where she sees his car. "Holy crap, tell me I'm not seeing this!" She says to him as she lays eyes on a '79 Fiat Spider.

"My pride and joy, cost me a bundle to replace the old one." He says back in a smug tone at the envy on her face.

"Maybe i should tell Cover-Girl about it." She says back in a miffed one.

"Huh, what about her?" He asked and blinked.

"You don't know about her and...Never mind, it's a girl thing." She mumbles as the two get in.

Flint drives to the front guard house, where Lavigne is. "Oh, heading out, sir? Will need your passes." He tells them.

"Here you go, Pvt." Flint says, as he hands them over and drives off.

Once they are a mile away, Lady-Jaye sticks an arm out of the car, feeling the wind passing her fingers while Flint glances every now and then.

"I take it you like the ride?" He asks her with a grin, and she grins back.

"Affirm~i~tive." She replied.

"As, uh, as much as you like me?" He asked next, and her grin fades. "Too much?"

"I've...been wondering this myself, Dashiell." She tells him as he pulls the car over to the road side. "After what we did. We both know making love, and being in love..."

"Aren't the same. I can never apologize enough, Ali." He replies, but she shakes her head.

"Never said you had to...for turning me from lady to woman." She says, as a blush forms. "Just...use **those** if we ever get...like that again."

Now Flint blushes. "Ah, I, um,...i will, i promise." He says, then asks to change the subject. "You really don't like horror films?"

"Just drive, big fella." She says as she rolls her eyes with a smirk.

"Yo Joe, vacation ho." Flint replies, and the trip resumes.

* * *

Chapter thirty-seven. Read and review.


	38. Downtime part fourteen

Second wave.

* * *

The pair leave the airport in North Carolina, and head to a bus stop to the town Duke told them to go.

"So he never said much about this person we're meeting?" Lady-Jaye asked.

"Just that he's 22, all i know." Flint tells her, and she shrugs.

Once at Fayetteville, the two rent a car and arrive at 4:38PM. Flint asks her to compare the house to the photo Duke gave them. "I don't need it." Lady-Jaye tells him.

"Well, lets go then." He says, and the two get out and walk to the porch where an old man is resting.

"Excuse me, you the home owner?" He asks, and gets no response, so he taps his shoulder.

"You have to do that?" Lady-Jaye asks just before the man stirred.

"Eh, who're you two?" He asked them.

"I'm Flint, and this is Lady-Jaye. We're co-workers of man named Conrad Hauser, you know him?" Flint asked.

"Nah, this is my son's house, ah just live here; why do you ask?" The man asked in turn, and Flint sighed.

"No, i said Hauser." He says in a louder voice.

"As in that Conrad feller. That who you mean, sonny?" The man asked next.

"Yeah, him. He sent us here." Flint replied.

"Beer? Sure, we got some in da fridge, how 'bout you Miss May?" The man told them, and Lady-Jaye snorted as another man showed up.

"Whats the...good afternoon, you the folks we expectin'?" The man asked, and the two nodded.

"That's us. Flint, and Lady-Jaye." Flint said as he pointed to himself and her.

"Uh-huh. Well, sorry 'bout dad, been hard a' hearin for years. Names Kyle Falcone*. Come on in; Elsa*, Vince, we got guests." The man says aloud.

The two follow him, and see a woman the second mans age, followed by a younger man with black hair.

"Hello, there. We've been expecting you." The woman says, in a slight accent, while her son just waved.

The man scolds his son, who then speaks. "Fine. My names Vincent, and you are?" He asks, and winks at one of the pair, who rolled her eyes.

"Flint and Lady-Jaye. We work with Conrad Hauser."

"And how is my boy right now?" Elsa asks.

"All we can say is he's busy." Flint tells her, and she sighs.

"If i may ask...ist das ein germanischer Akzent?" Lady-Jaye asks, making them stare.

"Warum ja ja. Oh, it's been years since i spoke like that." She answered.

"Where were you from?" Lady-Jaye asks.

"I was born in Neuruppin, so was my first husband." Elsa answered.

"And your son, too." Lady-Jaye said.

"Neu-where?" Flint asked, and she looked to him.

"Flint, he was German...East German**." She told him.

"Oh boy. No wonder he never talked about himself much." Flint replied as he placed a hand on his forehead.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-eight. Read and review.

*Made up names.

**Made up backstory.


	39. Downtime part fifteen

Second wave.

* * *

Hearing the words from her, Flint turns to the Falcones, who all look to each other, before Elsa offers them a seat so she can explain.

"Is this true, Ma'am? Conrad's name actually starts with K?" Flint asks.

"It did, but he hadn't been born just yet." She answered, and went on.

Flashback.

At an arms factory in Neuruppin, a blond haired security guard finishes his shift and heads to his house where a younger Elsa is waiting for him.

"How was your day?" She asks him.

"It's gonna be a good one, dear." He said cryptically.

"What does that mean?" She asked him.

He explains that a foreign dealer has shown up for an inspection, and that he knows what route he will take when he leaves.

"Siegbert, no, it's too dangerous." She tells him as she holds an arm over her abdomen.

"But we may never get a better chance. We are running out of time." He tells her.

After a few seconds she gives in. "How long?"

"26 minutes. We can only take what we need, hurry." He said, and they begin packing a loaf of bread, one water bottle, and some clothes.

When they get to a roadside alley, they wait for 8 minutes before he sees a van and transport truck. He flags the two vehicles down, which stop.

A man with a metal mask gets out. "What is the meaning of this?! Who are ya, man?" He asks with a Scottish accent. Siegbert walks up and gets a handgun out.

"...I'm armed, and need out of this country. Both of us." He says, and motions for Elsa to show herself while five of the masked mans workers surround Rudiger.

The man examines the two, and starts laughing. "Such boldness ye have, to be threatenin' a McCullen." He told the man, then grabs him and back hands him.

"Siegbert!" Elsa shouts out, which some patrolmen hear.

"What was that?"/"Helmut, it was this way!"/"You there, stop. Name yourselves!"

The masked man growled as he helps Siegbert back up and takes a STG58 from the van. "Ye daft banshee, look what yeh've done. Guards, put those communist dogs down now!" He orders, and a number of slots fold open on the transports sides, out of which machineguns on mechanical arms emerge, and mow the patrolmen down.

"Get in!" A young man says to Elsa as he opens the vans side door and joins the fighting. She does as he says, and climbed in, as he goes to shut the door, a round goes inbetween his wrists.

The masked man sees this, and he and Siegbert run over to the boy. "Father, i can't move my hands!" The young man says, and Siegbert and one of McCullen's workers help him in the van as more eastern troops approach, one destroying the rear truck with a rocket.

"Siegbert, Herr McCullen, get in, please!" Elsa says.

"No, we have to cover your escape. Goodbye, Elsa, i love you, and our child." Siegbert says.

"He's right, lass. James, take the mask. Our fate is your's now." The man says as he removes his mask and tosses it in as the van's door is shut, and it speeds off, despite her's, and the young man's protests.

End flashback.

"And after that, we made our way to Mr. McCullen's private jet, which took us to Switzerland, they eventually gave me a new identity, and sent me to the U.S., where i met Kyle." Elsa said, and Lady-Jaye hugs her.

"That must have been the worst, leaving his dad behind." Flint says, and he lowers his beret.

"It was. Once Conrad was born, i gave him his father's first name as his middle one." Elsa tells the pair as Kyle places his hands on her shoulders from behind.

"It took two and a half years for her to agree to marry me." He says.

"So, Vincent here, is his half-brother?" Flint asks as he looks to the young man.

"And that we all owe so much to Destro, of all people. I wonder if he knows?" Lady-Jaye asks.

"Yeah, yeah, just The Living Chin's little...Who's Destro?" Vincent says, before Kyle smacks the back of his head. "Ow!"

* * *

Chapter Thirty-nine. Read and review.


	40. Downtime part sixteen

Second wave.

* * *

Following the story, the Falcones and the two Joes have dinner.

"If i may, how much has Conrad mentioned about us two?" Lady-Jaye asks.

Mr. Falcone looks up. "Well, we know more of your fella here, then of you, Miss." He says, and Lady-Jaye flinches.

"Ah, we aren't actually together; just associates." She tells him, Flint tries to speak, but she taps his ankle hard with her heel.

"Right, that. Just work together." He says, when Vince speaks up.

"You don't say." He said and glanced at her, but notices her's saying no thanks kid, while Flint's seemed more like a dog growling.

After that, the four men have some drinks before Elsa send the oldest for his rest. "Tell ya about meh air corps days later, Trent!" He says.

"It's Flint, sir." Flint says back, while the others laugh at him, before the meal ends.

A while later, Vince is heading to the stairs when he hears voices in the guest room. "Creatures of clay—vain dwellers in the dust!, The moth survives you, and are ye more just?"

"What's all this?" He asks as he sees the woman and his parents listening to the guy with the basketball arms.

"Vince, can you believe Mr. Flint here went to Oxford." His mom tells him.

"And that is..." He asks and looks to the "audience".

"It's a university in Britain. I studied there as a Rhodes Scholar in the 70's." Flint tells him. Vince just shrugs and heads downstairs.

The next morning, Lady-Jaye wakes up to hear a faucet running and turning off, she gets up and puts most of her outfit on to see who it is.

She looks in the bathroom to see someone with the beret on, acting like he's shooting at something. "Get 'em, Dash." She says, before yawning.

"Say what?" She hears from the person as he turns, she recoils in surprise, and takes the beret from Vince's head.

"Ow, my hair...i was gonna give it back, just seeing how it looks, honest." He says to her.

"What's the ruckus?" Flint asks as he walks up the stairs.

"Du-Conrad's kid brother here was messing around with your hat." She tells him as she held it up.

"Was not, i said i was borrowing." Vince said as he pointed at her as he left the room and went downstairs.

After breakfast, the two tell the Falcones they will be heading back.

"Have a safe trip, you two!" Mrs. Falcone says as they enter the car and drive off.

"They seemed nice, didn't the?" Lady-Jaye asked.

"I'll admit, better than mine." Flint replied, looking in the side mirror.

She was about to tell him off, when she remembered something. "Oh, i forgot; your dad."

"That's alright, Ali. My old man always drove me and Ben to our limits, but it did pay off in the end." He said.

She then asked who Ben is, and he rolled his eyes. "My younger brother." He grumbled.

"Don't like him?" She asked.

"Just the part where he got the normal name, and i got the crappy one. I mean, seriously, Dashiell? What the hell?" He says, and she snorted.

"I think your names nice." She tells him as she smiles.

"I lost count of the number of times i got beat up because of it." He replies.

"And that's why your all macho now?" She asks and squeezes his right bicep.

"One reason, anyway." He answered.

* * *

When the two get on the plane, Flint recited a few more poems to her, The Dry Salvages, some from Louis Couperus, and Hemingway before he noticed she fell asleep.

Once they get back to base, he sees Torpedo, who tells them that Duke is with Rich. The two head to the infirmary, where they see him in the waiting room with Cutter, Ripcord, six Green-shirts, and Snow-Job.

"Flint, thank god you didn't come with, it was some freaking weird shit we saw out there. Transylvania is hereby a no-Joe zone." Duke tells them, and the others all say similar things.

He raises an eyebrow, and looks to Lady-Jaye, who shrugs.

* * *

Chapter forty. Read and review.


	41. Lights! Cameras! Cobra!

Second wave.

* * *

Five weeks after Duke explained how Roadblock's report of skeletons during the pyramid incident was no longer considered by him to be total BS, Sparks gets a call from Col. Sharp, who says that a Hollywood producer named Goldblatt put in a request for technical advisors and equipment from G.I. Joe.

"Yes, sir, Col., I'll go tell him."

After Duke was informed while he and Flint discuss what to do with a recently captured Firebat, they are going around the base looking for anyone available. "It's sure a tall order, Duke." Flint tells him as they watch Rock 'n Roll, Stalker, Lady-Jaye, Alpine, and Footloose doing P.T.

"I know; we get any more people, I'm gonna start to forget their names." Duke says back as the two watch Flash, Gung-Ho, Grunt, Scarlett at the rifle range.

The duo then head for the artillery range, and see a headache in the making: two Green-shirts, and Junkyard, at a table with microphones, while Shipwreck, Blowtorch, and Dusty are racing Armadillo's with Cover-Girl, Recondo, and Mutt.

"...Think we just found them." Flint says after they watch the two tanks make a wide turn around a H.A.L.

"What the hell are those idiots doing?!" Duke asks himself before running over to the table.

"And Team. D.C.C.* has da lead, but Team M.C.* is gain-what? Uh-oh, sorry y'all, dis here race is called on account 'a him...bye!" Blais says to no-one in particular as he and Green-shirt Indiana run off.

"Alright you leadfoots, get those things back to the motorpool and report to my office!" Duke yells into a mic while Junkyard watches.

* * *

Once the film is over, the Joe men leave their dressing room in tuxedos, only to see Cover-Girl in one as well.

"Beggin' me pardon, but should ye not be in some other attire, lass?" Blowtorch asks her, and Shipwreck nods.

"Yeah, what gives? Where's the fancy dress and stuff?"

"Aw, i gave that up when i enlisted, obviously. Won't be caught dead in another one if i can help it." She tells them with a smirk while Junkyard barks.

* * *

Chapter forty-one. Read and review.

*DC, and Marvel comics.


	42. Cobra's Candidate

Second wave.

* * *

During the skirmish against the Twins on the outside of their building, Scarlett knocks down one of them, not sure which, off the ledge while he's blabbing to her assistant, who turns to her and points up while he and the other guy are falling. "Weren't you a dozen stories up there just now?" She asked.

After looking upwards, she explains. "Ever since Breaker and Flash figured out how to use that old M.A.S.S. device, i had the latter put together a mini-version or two." She reached into her quiver, and pulled out a small rectangular object with glowing bits on it.

"But enough about that, we should head down." She tells her assistant, and both descend to the dumpster.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish."

After the two walk off, the Twins emerge from the room they went into when they left Mr. Harper, one of them holding one of the boxes, which now was no longer glowing, and had smoke coming out of it.

"What's that thing, or what's left of it." Mr. Harper asks them.

"Oh, this? Why, just a little thing..." Xamot says.

"That he picked up..." Tomax says next.

"On the way back up." Both finish, while Mr. Harper blinks in confusion.

* * *

Chapter forty-two. Read and review.


	43. Money to Burn

Second wave.

* * *

Duke was in his office doing the usual paperwork when he hears a bunch of shouting and yelling, before feeling a burning sensation in his chair. He stands up with a yelp, and looks down to see smoke from his pocket. "What's he up to this time?"

He reaches in for his billfold, only to find it full of ash, and gets on the intercom. "Airtight, get in my office, now!" He bellowed. Once the bio/chemical specialist reaches the room, he is followed by a dozen others.

"Care to explain this one, mister?!" Duke asks Airtight, who holds his own wallet up.

"I can assure you, it wasn't one of mine, since it happened to me too, sir." He explains, and opens it up for Duke to see inside.

"This was all my winnings!" Ace says, as he holds up a plastic bag.

"And for my time-off." Steeler said next, as he points to it.

"And our nail polish." Scarlett adds as she, Cover-Girl, and Lady-Jaye empty their wallets on the floor.

"Mah car payment, too." Gung-Ho said.

"How am i gonna pay for my Mom's med bills?" Dusty asked.

After four more Joes complain, a rock bursts through his window and makes a hole in the wall. Once he and the rest get over the shock, and Flint passes it back through the hole, Duke unwraps the paper tied to it.

My lotto winnings just went up in flames, find out who did it! Sincerely, Sgt. S.

Duke gulps and lowers the note, but not before some others read it over his shoulder.

"Sgt. S?" Rock 'n Roll asks, while Clutch and Tollbooth both faint.

"You don't want to know." Duke replies. "Flint, head to the war room, and somebody get Tollbooth up to fix that wall."

* * *

Aside from the Joes; in one town, 2 college girls were at a Hot 'n Now when a bright flash happened in one's purse, along with more in the building. "Holy crap, what was that?", "No idea, Amber."

In Fayetteville, Vincent checked in to a hospital for burns on his hand after he was about to buy some R-rated magazines.

In Washington state, Dr. Steen was at a grocery store when it happened to him.

At the Parker house in Arizona. "Dad, my piggy bank just went all kablooey!", "You're not the only one, bucko. Da...arn it."

While in Enterprise City, Satin was in her van when a sound from behind her caused her to hit the brakes, causing a station-wagon to rear-end her. She gets out to see a curly blond haired man and girl. "You two alright?"

"Fine." The man says, while emptying his burnt wallet. "Don't mind my big bro, he's the quiet type; and aren't you that singer from that time the power went out?" The younger one asks.

"That's me. And I'll let it slide, I'm no stranger to the strange ones, after all." She says, and winked at the man, who pauses.

"...Huh?"

* * *

Chapter forty-three.


	44. Operation Mind Menace

Second wave.

* * *

At the Easter island base, the Commander calls for one of the psychics for questioning.

"What do you intend to do with us?" She asks fearfully.

"You ssshould already know." The Commander scoffs.

"You're overestimating the concept, Cobra Commander. I can't determine every single day." She replies, but he just shrugs.

"Well, i don't expect you too, just an example or two will ssuffice." He tells her.

"Like if I'll get that new surfboard." One of the Blue-shirts says before the Commander beats him over the head with his cane.

"Be quiet, you fool. Now, give usss an event of thingss...ten yearssss from now." He says, then asks the psychic, who shuts her eyes.

"...I see...people, they're breaking a concrete wall somewhere, one with graffiti on it." She says, and after pausing a bit, he motions for her to go on.

"And next...i see the opening of some location...It looks like a themepark? Yes, a themepark." She tells him.

"Anything else?" He asks her.

"There's a crowd, they're celebrating, no, electing someone. I think it's Nelson Mandela, yeah, it's him. Seen him on TV." She says.

"Ssend her back to her cell, and bring another." He says to the Blue-shirt.

* * *

"There's a person; a man, he's standing infront of a row of tanks with red stars on them." The next one, a man, says in a concerned voice.

"Yesss...and what is happening to this person?" He asks.

"The four tanks stop. They try to go around, but he keeps blocking them before he is dragged off." He tells him.

"Admirable or foolissh...Anything else?" He asks the man.

"There's a person holding something to her ear..." He tells the Commander.

"Yess, holding what?" Cobra Commander leaned forward and asked.

"It kind of looks like a computer, but it cant be." The man says aloud.

"Is it that or a phone? What do you mean, explain?" The Commander pretends to ask, since he's already seen devices like that before from other species.

"It's too small. It's only the size of a pop-tart." The man tells him in a confused voice.

"That's ridiculousss. Next!"

* * *

"My organization, does it ever win?" He asks the next one.

"I'm seeing someone; it's you, in a place with snow. There's these big...plants? And two people in some sort of red armor behind you." The third one says.

"...Can't be." The Commander says under his breath. "What are the two doing?"

"They're holding you down with some kind of...crab claws? There's a giant; he's got wings on him!" The third says in a nervous voice.

"What else, what are **they** doing to me?" Cobra Commander shouts.

"The giant, he's forcing your head down and holding this...green pumpkin looki...Oh my god, your chest, it's...what, no don't!" The man says as Cobra Commander pulls his handgun out and kills him.

"Get this garbage out of here. Throw him into the sea!" The Commander yells.

* * *

Chapter forty-four. Read and review.

I'm not making these too fast, am I?


	45. Battle for the Train of Gold

Second wave.

Disclaimer: Skymaster23 owns no part of Nintendo. Did have the game once, though.

* * *

Duke walks into Flint's office. "Flint, I need you to take over for a while, I'm leading 2 squads to D.C." He tells the 2IC, who looked up.

"Ok; what's the occasion?" Flint asked him.

"According to Scarlett and L.J., Major Bludd is being sent after the Engraving Bureau, so I'm taking the former, Snake-Eyes, Wild Bill, Cover-Girl, Thunder, Gung-Ho, Mutt, and some Green-shirts." Duke replies, and Flint nods.

"I'll hold down the fort, then." He tells Duke, who leaves.

After he, Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, and Mutt get their disguises from the quartermaster area, they see Bazooka, Alpine, and Frostbite with a couple small boxes in their hands.

"Do i want to know?" Scarlett asks, while Junkyard sniffs one of them in Frostbites hand.

"You mean these, just some stuff Bazook' bought. Says it's something called a lightgun." Alpine says.

"NES Zapper, to be more specific. For that new console in the rec room that came out a while ago." Frostbite added.

"Goin' Duckhuntin'." Bazooka said last as he held up one box.

Duke and Snake-Eyes stare at each other, before Duke reminds him, Scarlett, and Mutt that they've got to keep moving.

"We'll check it out later, 'kay?" Scarlett says over her shoulder as they leave.

* * *

Chapter forty-five. Read and review.


	46. Cobra's Sound Waves

Second wave.

* * *

While Flint was leading a team in the middle east, Duke was with Short-Fuze and Heavy Metal in England, examining the latest the Action Force had to offer; which wasn't much.

"This all you have in terms of armor, Big Ben?" Duke asked.

"Afraid so, Duke. We and the blokes at NATO are in bit of competition, you see." Big Ben said, with a half-hearted nod.

"So, what's this first one?" Heavy Metal asked him as the four walked around a green boxy vehicle.

"This here is the Mobile Battle Bunker. Durable as a boar, it is." Big Ben told him as he tapped it with a fist.

While they were looking at it, Short-Fuze spoke. "Maybe, but it doesn't seem good for long range, if you ask me."

"Well, then it's a good thing it has the hidden missiles." Big Ben tells him before turning around. "Open her up, Tracks!"/"Treads, sir."/"Right."

The vehicle's upper half pops up, making the Joe stumble, as a rack of five missiles on a mechanical arm rose just past their heads.

"Eh, forget what i said." Short-Fuze says after gets back on his feet. After a while, the vehicle shuts itself, and they walk to the back of it and watch 'Trreads' walk out. "Huh, you have female troops, too." He says as she shuts the door to it.

"Why, 'ow many you yanks got in your ranks?" She asked him as she tilted her head up.

"We have three in the main force, and 44, miscellaneous." Duke tells her.

She turns to him. "Out of how many men?"

Duke paused, then answered. "543...oh, if you wondering why none of those three are here..." Big Ben then cut in.

"As you were, Treads!" He ordered, and she walked off. "You'll have to excuse her, she's a Scot. She and a pilot are among our mains. We also have 30 other ladies in the support ranks."

Duke nods, while trying to ignore his counterpart's rudeness. "Uh-huh...How many other vehicles?"

"There's some of your M.O.B.A.T.s, some A.W.E. Strikers, Skystrikers, and three more originals. Will be four, but the last one, The General, just started construction." Big Ben says and leads the Joes to a white vehicle. "This one is the Avalanche. Our version of your Snowcat. Fully tracked, with cannons on the left, machine gun turret on the right, and a deployable heli' in the back."

"That sure is something, ain't it, sir?" Heavy Metal asks Duke, who nods.

"We also can work in the sand with that one." Big Ben says, as he points to a six-wheeled, open cabin car with a man working on it's engine. "The Desert Fox, and it's driver, Skidmark."

"Huh...Oh, evening. These the Joes you mentioned, sir?" 'Skidmark' asked in a Greek accent after looking up.

"That's right. I'm Duke, the CO. These two are Short-Fuze, and Heavy Metal."

"'Ello there." Skidmark said as he shook Duke's hand, getting grease on it. "Aw, my mistake, sir."

"No problem, it's fine." Duke says as he wipes his hand on his pant leg. "What's the last one, Ben?"

Big Ben shook his head in amusement. "That would be the Skystorm fighter heli."

He leads them to a hanger, where another woman is. "Airfoil*, our inspectors are here!"

The lady turns around, and salutes. "How do you do, I'm Action Forces top flyer, sir!" She says in a Swedish accent.

"At ease, missy." Duke tells her before noticing Short-Fuze looking her over. "You too, Fuze."

As Short-Fuze apologizes, a generic soldier shows up. "Sir, we just got word, Cobra landing craft in Spanish waters."

The Joes and A.F.'s look to each other.

"Care to join in, yanks?" Big Ben offers.

Duke grins, and they get moving.

"Yo Joe!"/"Full Force!"

* * *

When Gung-Ho sets down the platters at the Sheiks dining hall, he turns to the Joe with a glare.

"You dare to bring that filth before me?!" He yells and some guards reach for their shamsirs.

"Woah, easy there! Ah know 'bout dat pork free diet of yers, so this 'ere's Gator." Gung-Ho says to them.

"Gator? What manner of animal is that?" Sheik Ali asks after calling his guards off.

"It's a reptile, a relative of the Crocodile." Ace explains.

"Yep, only wider." Wild Bill added.

Sheik Ali looks at Gung-Ho, then bows his head. "My sincerest apologies, i will try this gator of yours." He says, then tries one, and fans his mouth. "Reminds me of some Indian dishes i have had, is all 'Cajun' food like this."

"It sure is, that's actually the mild version." Gung-Ho tells him.

Sheik Ali looks up after some water, then grins. "...I'll take some more, then."

* * *

Chapter forty-six. Read and review.

*OC's.


	47. Where the Reptiles Roam

Second wave.

* * *

Before heading for Wild Bill's car, Alpine turns to Lady-Jaye. "Were we really a good choice for this?"

"Don't know about you or Bazooka, but i kinda did this before." She tells him.

"Ya did?" Bazooka asks, and she grins.

"Ah do declaeh, while ah ain't no southern belle, ah did play one on TV once." She tells them. "Besides, Scarlett thought it was too stereotypical."

* * *

While Flint's team was escorting the remaining prisoners, Green-shirt Blais passes by with one prisoner with a familiar outfit on is handcuffed.

"That's the one i knocked out earlier, Flint." Lady-Jaye says, and the person kicks at her.

"You give me my uniform back, you balloon chested bitch! Your boots are the wrong size, too!" She shouts, then spits at her.

"Dammit, let me at her. You gonna let her talk to me like that?!" Lady-Jaye shouts while her face goes red, and Recondo holds her back.

"You'll get it back in a bit. Would look better without the emblem." Flint told her with a smirk. "A real American superhero."

As they were laughing at that, Footloose walked up. "We finished our sweep downstairs, man."

"What'd you find, Footloose?" Flint asked him.

"Something real familiar. Two puddles...grey ones."

The Joes pause. "...Those must have been the Joad's. I thought something was off about them." Lady-Jaye said.

"Synthoids. Got to let Duke know, asap." Flint says aloud.

* * *

At Cobra's nearest safe-house, Cobra Commander was ranting. "And you! You had one of them four feet away from you, unarmed, how'd he get the upper hand?!"

The Baroness folds her arms and looks away. "It was those swamp-trash, that stampede they started jammed my pistol with all the dust and sand. I still have some in my ears, for that matter."

"No excusssess, you will be placed on unpaid leave for thisss!" The Commander yelled.

* * *

At Joe HQ, Steeler is in his barracks bunk. He's thinking back to the attack from the satellite beam.

He watches Cover-Girl get away from her Wolverine, and an A.P.C. get consumed by it with all it's passengers right before getting out of his M.O.B.A.T.

"All those faces, all those cinders. All those faces, all those cinders..."

* * *

Chapter forty-seven. Read and review.


	48. Appointment

Second wave.

* * *

At the Joe's infirmary, Snake-Eyes walks in and is approached by an orderly. "Doc will be with you in a moment, he's giving Sgt. Snuffles his worm meds."

Snake-Eyes nods, since it reminds him of Timbers time a few days ago. He sits down in the waiting room, where Tripwire has a cast, Greenshirt Jordan is holding her elbow, Dusty has a cloth on his nose, Dr. Blackstone is coughing, and Deep-Six holds an icepack to his head. He sits next to the diver, something the others are familiar with by now.

"What you in for?" The diver asks, the Joe Ninja being the only one he speaks first to. Said Joe makes signs to him. "Your usual." Deep-Six replies. "Fell during P.T." He tells him.

Then Doc shows up and Sgt. Snuffles and his handler walks out. "Dusty, bed 3. Jordan, bed 10. Snake-Eyes, room 1." Doc announces.

Snake-Eyes gives a short wave to the diver as he gets up, which is returned. The Doc and Ninja head into a room, where Snake-Eyes waits for it to be locked before he slowly removes his uniform, showing all his burns and hands it to Doc, who grabs a bottle of talcum powder and covers the inside of a second uniform with it.

Once done, Doc takes the old uniform and places it in a cardboard box while Snake-Eyes puts the new one on. "I'll have Simmons take this to the incinerator."

Snake-Eyes nods before Doc unlocks the door. He passes Nurse Collins as he calls for Dr. Blackstone.

* * *

Chapter forty-eight. Read and review.


	49. The Gamesmaster

Second wave.

Disclaimer: Skymaster23 does not condone violence toward women, and is not connected to Nestle.

* * *

At the Cobra base in Greenland, Destro is in the submarine pen informing Copperhead of the situation.

"'Is head did what? Ha, ah knew it, he really does have a screw loose!" Copperhead joked.

"This is no laughing matter, i still have to inform the rest of our command structure of this." Destro tells him with a sneer.

"Or determine who is left, sir." The two hear from Destro's left, and see a black haired female Eel*.

"Do you dare to threaten us, woman?!" Destro asks and grabs her by the jaw, but she holds her hands up.

"No, that just came out wrong. I meant that the Baroness disappeared from the health spa she, 2 others, and i were at." She explains, and he releases her and runs off for the command level.

* * *

At the Gamesmaster's island, Cobra Commander is watching Lady-Jaye tug at her hair after getting out of the "river".

"Ow! Damn it, i just had my hair done before i left the base; never eating toffee again." She grumbled to herself.

"Not that i really care, but i sssaid it wass buttersscotch." The Commander tells her.

"And how the hell would you know something like that, do you even have a mouth under there?" She asks him.

"If you musst know, we have thisss one persson, LaCar, once worked at Nessstle for a week." He replied.

"A week?" She asked next.

"Ssomething about an explossion, and nougat over half of ssome town in New Hampssshire." He explains and shrugs.

* * *

Once the ordeal is over, Lady-Jaye walks over to Flint, who is watching Alpine and a Snow-Serpent collect some "evidence".

"Ohh, Fli~nt?" She asks in a disarming tone, only to hit him with a "treebranch" when he turns.

"What's the matter with you?" He asks as he picks up a piece, then sniffs and took a bite. "Heh, it's Cinnamon."

"Forget that, you thoughtless...You made me think that...You remember the Africa mission, well i think i know~how you~must have felt." She tells him, and throws herself at him, and he drops the "branch" and puts his arms around her.

"I know, baby, I'm so sorry. I just had to play it by ear. If it wasn't for Dusty back then, i would have gone right down after you." He says in her ear.

"All th~ree of us?" She asked softly into his, but he shook his head.

"I mean you." He tells her, then sighs. "She looks like the twilight, her sun sunk away, He sets; but to rise again never. Like the Eve, with a blush bids farewell to the day, and darkness conceals her forever."**

Lady-Jaye blinked at this, then buries her face in his chest. "That makes us even now."

"It definitely does." He tells her, then pressed his lips onto her forehead. Then they hear Duke in the distance.

* * *

After they eventually return to Greenland, Cobra Commander exits the Constrictor helicopter with part of the Gamesmaster's "soldiers".

"Dessstro, have your people take a look at sssome of thesse. I think they'll be more interesssted then they were of the oness i had made from the Funhousse."

* * *

After a while, The Gamesmaster's "aircraft" lands near a dugout cliff, onto a motorcycle. The owner, a man with sunglasses, a black tanktop, and camo pants runs up.

"Was that yours, little man?" The giant lunatic says.

"And you just totaled it, scuzzbucket. Your gonna wish you were two feet tall in as many seconds." He replies as he cracks his knuckles.

* * *

Chapter forty-nine. Read and review.

*Guess which one.

**Last portion of Loss of Female Character, by George Moses Horton.


	50. Mail Call part two

Second wave.

Disclaimer: Skymaster23 has no connection to Loonytoons.

* * *

At Joe HQ's quartermaster's area, the Moe's* enter the uniform storage, and see's Pvt. Lavigne, Green-shirt Blais, Indiana, and another M.P. try on uniforms. The lead one taps Lavigne's shoulder, who has a neon green helmet on.

"Hey, Marvin the martian, you got a letter." He tells Lavigne, who removes the helmet.

"Hold this, Alex...Aye carumba." He says as he hands it over, then sits down.

"What's da matteh, Lawman?" Blais asks him as he and Indiana lean over while wearing a grey hat and holding a brown vest.

"Carly**, my girlfriend, and her family moved to Oregon." He replies in a sad tone.

"I know that feeling, Cobra air-raid killed a girl i went out with in middle-school, it's why i signed up." Indiana says as he pats his back.

"Yeah, real bummer, Chris. But there'll be others." M.P. Alex adds.

* * *

The worker then heads to the Intel office, where Scarlett and Lady-Jaye are looking over reports. "Got some word that they're moving construction and crystal shaping equipment to the pacific somewhere." Scarlett says to her roommate.

"A former CIA co-worker of mine mentioned Cobra subs near Argentina." Lady-Jaye says before a knocking is heard.

"Mail call, I'll leave it on the floor." He tells the two from outside.

They listen for him to leave before opening the door, and picking them up.

"Alright, Ron mailed me back, how about you, Apple?" Lady-Jaye asks.

* * *

In the rec room, Rock 'n Roll gets a letter while playing Yahtzee with Dr. Rich.

"Who's that from, Rock?" Airtight asks him.

"Some old pal of mine, saying something about this band his niece Carmen is in." Rock replies.

"Cool, what's it called?" Footloose asks next.

"Says here, they're The holograms." Rock tells them.

* * *

Bacal then gets to the commissary. "From your aunt Peoria, Roadblock."

"Nothing makes your day better, then getting a letter." He says while he is making a batch of something.

* * *

He knocks on the door to the girl's quarters, where Cover-Girl opens the door, and he notices Alice, who changed her surname back to Langdon, and Green-shirt Rodriguez are watching a wrestling match in the background.

"Got your auto magazine, C.G." He tells her, and she grins wide.

"Gee, Thanks." She tells him, then rushes off to the bedroom. Bacal grimaces and shakes his head in disgust as he hears faint moaning while walking away.

* * *

He stops at the gym where Quick-Kick, Gung-Ho, Recondo, Green-shirt Jordan, and Short-Fuze are.

"Here, guys." He tells them.

Quick-Kick opens his first. "Heh, got an invite for a martial arts demonstration from my old college." He says, with a smirk.

Gung-Ho is next. "Beh, 'nutha reminda 'bout mah car payment."

Recondo is given a couple of magazines while he and Jordan are chatting, and Short-Fuze gets a letter from overseas.

"What happened, Fuze?" Quick-Kick asks Short-Fuze who kicks over an exercise bike.

"That lady i mentioned just got rescued, but resigned." He answered.

"How bad?" Bacal asks him, figuring he knows what comes next.

"She...lost a foot and part of her left arm. She'll never fly again." He said as he picked it back up.

"That's awful, you gonna be ok?" Jordan asks him, but he shrugs while the others offer their support.

"I don't know; maybe after i take off and find a bar somewhere." He tells her and the rest.

"I'll go with, you'll need a ride back." Quick-Kick offers, which he accepts.

* * *

He later reaches Duke's office. "Mail call, sir."

"Come on in." Duke says, and he walks in to hand him one from Washington. He reads it, then turns the intercom on. "All Joes report to the assembly room, i repeat, all Joes to assembly room."

"What's going on, sir?" Bacal asks, and Duke grins.

"Good news times two." He says to him.

"You know Quick and Short wont be there, right?" Bacal asks next.

"I heard, thanks anyway." Duke replies before leaving.

In the assembly room, Duke is speaking with Flint before addressing the crowd. "Joes, i have just been informed that reserve operative Beachhead is currently 60% healed from his injuries."

The first generation Joes complain until he continues. "I also have been informed that Colonel Abernathy has been promoted to Brigadier General following the retirement of General Franks." He tells them, and all of them cheer and clap.

* * *

Final chapter. Read and review.

*Mail room Joes.

**Character from transformers.


End file.
